Waking The Blood of the Dead: REVAMPED
by SouthernLady23
Summary: Set after Book 8. Can Eric convince Sookie to renew their bond and stay in this realm with him, or does Sookie have a hidden agenda to make him fall in love? Rated M for Mature.
1. Sookie's Message

Disclaimer: The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

(Please bear with me. I'm updating every chapter of this story which is in dire need of editing.)

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was from my yesteryears - originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

**SPECIAL THANKS TO**: all my beta/friends who helped me and friended me in the past! Miss you guys! *Naked Eric Hugs*

**SETTING**: This story takes place after the end of Book 8.

When Sookie finally decides Eric is _the one_, she enlists some help to get the Viking to forsake all others, and make her his one and only. Waiting patiently for some results has only brought her three weeks of loneliness. That was bearable up until Thanksgiving when she started seeing all sorts of erotic images of Eric flashing through her mind. Now what's she supposed to do? Give into her emotions, or continue to wait?

* * *

**Sookie's POV**

When I finally awoke in the morning around eleven and regained complete consciousness, I sighed and uttered, "Yay, it's finally Friday." Friday nights at Merlotte's meant lots of customers and lots of customers meant good tips.

In my mind, I was already thinking about what outfit I was going to wear, the bills I was going to pay with my tip money, and how to fix my hair and makeup to ensure a successful night. As I slowly sat up, my thoughts shifted from my job to the object of my fantasies: Eric.

The last time we spoke, we left it clear we needed to talk about us, the blood bond—basically just about everything. It suddenly hit me it had been three weeks since I had last seen him. I hadn't received a phone call or one of his cute little notes he always sent with a gift, a text, a messenger—nothing.

My thoughts turned to the memories of his gorgeous body, his award-winning ass, and his perfectly sculpted and chiseled six-foot-four frame. Just as if he had been sitting next to me, I swore I could feel his cold skin touch my blazoned body as it desperately burned for him.

I sensed his cool hands on me as they snaked around my body, my breasts, and felt them come to rest in between my thighs. I gasped when I heard his voice utter so devilishly, _"Good morning, my Lover."_

An overwhelming wave of lust and desire washed over me and my body involuntarily shook with need.

"What in the world?" I sat on the edge of my bed and stood up. Lately, I seemed to be plagued by a series of erotic images in my head of Eric naked or stroking himself, or memories of when we had been together—a sort of _lust attack_, I concluded. I wondered where these images of Eric were coming from and why they always came upon me when I first woke up.

"Ugh! Why can't I dream of a famous actor or model?" I asked, looking at myself in the mirror. "Why does it have to be Eric Northman?" I tried finding an answer to my question, but the only response I came up with was maybe I didn't dream of those other guys because I had never been with them. I had only been with three men in my life: Bill, Eric, and Quinn.

Out of that small number of men, I had to admit it was Eric with whom the windows had shook and the earth had quaked—by far Eric had been the best sex I'd ever had. I guessed that was why he seemed to be in my thoughts lately.

I rubbed my eyes, collected my clothes, and wondered if Eric thought I was the best he ever had. Perhaps that would explain why he took so long to get back at me. I was probably horrible in bed or worse—boring!

"But didn't Eric seem like he enjoyed himself?" He certainly made all the right sounds and was easily aroused—several times a night, actually. But then again I reasoned I hadn't been with the Eric who had a thousand years of sexual experience, but Eric under a curse, who didn't know who he was.

"Wow! He knew all those positions before he was turned? I wonder what else he picked up . . . " I said before realizing I was talking to myself. "Oh, my stars! All this Eric business, almost made me forget Niall called me yesterday. I gotta call him today. I can't forget . . . "

I tried to keep Eric's sexual positions out of my head and decided to focus on calling my great-grandfather. I made my way to the shower, but somehow my thoughts strayed to the issue of my Fae blood. Could it be possible Eric was only interested in me because of it, and sex with me was just a secondary reaction to its potency, like when a doctor hits a patient's knee and their knee automatically jerks upward?

Was that what our intimacy was? A knee-jerk reaction to him taking my Fae-laced blood? I sighed as I realized Eric's interest in me wasn't because I was experienced or because I did things to him in bed no one had ever done before. I mean if that was the case, wouldn't he be pounding on my door every night as soon as the sun went down?

I took a step and stubbed my toe on my dresser cabinet. "Ow! Stupid lust attacks! Look what you made me do." While I tried to get through my pain, I pondered why I was going through such a confusing experience, and a thought snuck up on me: the messages were probably coming from Eric or from the Blood Bond we now shared.

"But how can this be? Isn't he asleep right now?" The questions flooded over me just like the lust had a few seconds ago.

I sure wished there was a Blood Bond owner's manual like a _Blood Bond For Dummies_, because I realized I sure had a lot of questions, and it seemed the only person who had the answers was laying low at the moment, not bothering to call me.

As I hopped to the bathroom, I started thinking back upon the times I dealt with Eric before the Blood Bond, and it seemed he always waited about two to three months before contacting me via a message or the like. Plus, there always ended up being an excuse behind the call, such as I was in some sort of danger or my services were being called upon. Sadly, I realized he didn't make it a habit to call me just _because_. I turned on the shower water and adjusted the temperature, wondering how I was going to keep this up for the months it took for that damn proud vampire to call me.

I chastised myself as I turned to look in the bathroom mirror. "Well, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black, Sookie? You don't call him either, so what does that make you?"

I sighed heavily as I took off my moistened underwear, recognizing how seeing Eric in my head affected me. I shrugged my shoulders in defeat and I realized I could no longer go through this waiting game Eric and I always seemed to play.

Then the question I always tried to put furthest in mind reared up its ugly head. _How was Eric feeding at night?_ Since he was bonded to me, was he giving up sex and just getting blood from the never-ending pool of fangbangers who frequented his club?

I thought back on the first time I had met Eric all those years ago, and even though I was with Bill at the time, there were a number of things I wanted to do with tall, pale, and blond. Even way back then, I couldn't deny Eric was beautiful and powerful, a mixture intoxicating to most women.

Was I really going to believe the women who specifically went to the club to meet him would walk away content, only to provide him with their blood? Or that he would turn down all those women away and just drink TruBloods?

"Come on, Sookie! Wake up to yourself!" Eric the sex god sending the fangbangers away while telling them he was bonded was ridiculous to even contemplate. Besides, all of that was a moot point. I had heard some rumors about Eric and his nightly feedings. I'd be a fool not to think they were based on some sort of truth. My chest constricted as I envisioned Eric with all sorts of women. This only left me feeling depressed and saddened at his supposed infidelity. "Whoa, when did Eric agree to be faithful to me?"

I entered the shower and the warm water poured over me. I lathered soap across my body and I began to tremble with need again. I turned around to let the water from the shower hit my back, and I inadvertently brushed my nipples against the cold shower tile.

"Shepherd of Judea." I gasped as my body shivered. The coldness of the tiles reminded me how Eric's hands felt on my body. "What if this time he takes longer? Four months, five months? Can I survive that long without him?" The thought of being away from his touch so long sent my body into a frenzy again and I lingered there, finding pleasure in the chilled temperature of the tiles.

Without warning, my right hand cupped my left breast and I started tugging at my nipple. As clear as day I saw Eric in my mind say, _"Touch yourself for me, my Lover. Show me how much you want me."_

I lifted my right leg, resting it on the soap holder, while my left hand found its way into my moistened folds. I began to touch myself. As I felt my pleasure building, I heard a knock on the door.

"Sookie, good morning, girl! Do you have someone over? You sly dog, you! I hear voices in there!"

I quickly put my foot down, and turned around, almost falling on my ass. "No! It's just me, Amelia!" My cheeks burned red and I immersed my head under the shower stream.

"Hmm . . . okay. Well, do you want some coffee? I made a fresh pot for you."

"Okay. Thanks, Amelia! I'll be there in a bit!" I shouted so she could hear me.

I shook my head, attempting to shake free of the haze surrounding it. _What in the world was that? What was I doing? Was I going insane?_ I was certainly not one to do that sort of thing in the shower, well by myself—or rather to myself. At that moment, the memories of the things Eric and I had done in the same shower came crashing into my head and I felt lightheaded.

_I can't do this anymore_. I turned off the water and moved the shower curtain aside.

I couldn't wait anymore for Eric Northman to come to me. For once, I had to move to the mountain. I had to search him out. I had to find the excuse to bring him to me or find the strength to go to him. I had to see him. I had to touch him, to smell him, to taste him, to _fuck_ him.

_Whoa where did that come from? God, what am I saying?_ "What's happening to me?" The phrase left my lips in a whisper.


	2. Deceiving Kisses

Disclaimer: The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - UPDATED** - This story was from my yesteryears—originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

**Sookie POV**

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Amelia called out as I made my way into the kitchen. "How was your night?" she asked excitedly.

"Amelia, tone it down a bit, please. I haven't had coffee yet," I replied.

Amelia bounced around me, trying to look into my eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"Are you sure you were alone in your room? I heard voices . . . "

"It was me, Amelia. I was just going over . . . some stuff."

"Hmm . . . that's not good, girlfriend. Talking to yourself means you need to get laid ASAP!"

"Amelia, can you hold off on your dirty sex comments until I get three cups of coffee in me, please?"

"Sure thing, roomie. Though it seems you need to get something else besides coffee in you . . . if you know what I mean." She laughed and handed me a coffee cup.

I took the cup and rolled my eyes. I walked over to the coffee maker and poured myself some coffee.

"Oh, did I give you the message that Niall called you this morning?"

"Nope. Did he say what he wanted? He called me last night and left a message on my cell. I was going to call him back today." I blew on the hot coffee and took a cautious sip.

Amelia raised and lowered her eyebrows suggestively. "Sounds to me like he found a cure to your uh . . . talking voices problem. He said for you to prepare yourself tonight."

"Prepare myself? What does that mean?"

"Well, call and find out, Sooks."

"All right. Hand me my cell. It's there by my purse." Amelia brought it to me and I dialed my great-grandfather's number only to be greeted by his answering service. I left him a message and hung up. "Oh, well. I'm sure he'll pop by if something important happened."

"Yea, he would. Hey, is it all right if Tray and I stop by Merlotte's tonight?"

"Sure, that'd be great. We're running a special on burger baskets—your fave," I said.

Amelia's face lit up and she smiled.

"So, have you heard from Octavia?"

"Oh, girl. Take a seat. It's a long story."

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

After chitchatting a bit with Amelia about Octavia, who was out of town for a Concealment Spells Seminar, I did a few spare things around the house until it was finally five in the afternoon and time to go to work.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

Business was just picking up at Merlotte's as I made my way to the employee lounge. I set my things in my personal cubby and put my apron on. I turned and saw Sam walk into the room, wearing his usual blue jeans with a short-sleeved Merlotte's T-shirt and work boots.

"Hey, Sookie. How's my favorite waitress today?" he asked rather happily.

"Hey, Boss. Everything's just great. Just another Friday night. Hopefully, the customers are in a big tipping mood."

"Why sure, Sookie. All you have to do is flash them your award-winning smile and you'll have them eating out of the palm of your hand." He smiled his goofy Sam smile and nervously ran his hand through his hair.

_The man has no game_. I felt a sudden pang of pity for him at that moment. I wanted to chuckle, but instead my gaze turned to the toned muscle bulging on his bicep as he flexed his arm upwards to stroke his hair. _Hmm . . . why haven't I ever noticed that before?_

As Sam ran his hands through his hair, he reminded me of the prince in the _Shrek_ movie who tossed his head to shake his perfect hair. It seemed funny somehow to envision Sam with perfect hair, much less a perfect body. And speaking of a perfect body, I immediately thought of Eric: the six-foot-four untamed, blond sex god with chiseled features of utter perfection.

_Oh no, not again!_ The heat in my body started to slowly rise as Eric's naked image flashed before my eyes and invaded my thoughts. I panicked as now the _lust attacks_ had moved beyond the morning and were invading the rest of my day.

I closed my eyes and let out a small moan. Slowly, I fluttered my eyes open and I felt as if I was in a dream. I moved toward Sam and caught his arm while it was still in midair—not quite free of his hair.

I moved my body close to his and felt his warmth surround me. I took in his scent and noticed his breathing had slowed to short, raspy breaths. I brushed my lips against his and snickered lustfully in his ear, "Oh yeah, and what would I have to do to make _you_ eat out of the palm of my hand?"

In my haze, Eric was in front of me—not Sam—and I wanted my Viking. Every pore of my body yearned for Eric's touch. I placed my right hand over Sam's sex and cupped it with my hand.

"What if I did this, baby? Would this do the trick?" I brushed my lips across Sam's mouth and I squeezed him below.

At the sudden pressure to his dick, Sam semi-closed his eyes and gasped. "Sookie . . . " His voice brought me back from my haze, and I let go of his raised arm. I then froze when I realized where my other hand was placed and what it was squeezing.

"Sam? Oh my God, Sam. I am so sorry! I don't know why I did that. Oh, my God, am I fired?" I turned various shades of red and turned around with a sick feeling in my stomach. _What had I just done? What was wrong with me? Why did I think Sam was Eric? Why did I touch him like that?_

"Sookie." Sam grabbed my arm and turned me around. "Of course you're not fired. I am just . . . wow . . . oh . . . wow. Sookie, you can touch me like that any day and I can guarantee you, it wouldn't take any effort on your part to have me eating out of the palm of your hand."

He pulled me close to him, and even though everything told me to push him back, he felt so good that I couldn't pull away. Even his hands, which somehow ended up on my butt felt like they belonged there. His warmth and musky scent surrounded me, and I couldn't help but savor the feel of his hardening erection through his clothes.

Another image of Eric lying naked on my bed using his finger in a _come-hither_ motion flashed before my eyes. I inexplicably tilted my head and was filled with an uncontrollable desire to lick Sam's neck. Before I could control myself, I laced my tongue across the side of it, as if I was licking an envelope. I then moved my tongue over his Adam's apple and lightly sucked on it.

Since his skin felt so warm, I was thoroughly enjoying kissing Sam, and I decided to trace my tongue back to the side of his neck. Once there, I opened my mouth and sucked fervently on his soft flesh. Sam moaned loudly as I simultaneously squeezed his hardened length and sucked on his neck.

"Oh yes, Sookie . . . oh . . . " He tightened his grip on my butt and pulled me closer, while my breasts brushed on his chest.

The sudden movement snapped me back to reality and I pulled away from him. It took a moment to compose myself. "Sam, I'm sorry. I don't know what to say, I . . .I . . . have to get back to work." I practically ran out of the room, flew into the restaurant area, and made my way into the Ladies' room. I left him looking at me with this mouth hanging open, not quite believing what had just happened between us.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and it seemed I could hardly recognize my own reflection. My face was flushed and bright red, and I was literally panting, not to mention I was feeling some commotion down in my private parts. _What the hell was happening to me? I got excited over Sam?_

I couldn't understand why being around Sam was affecting me so, and as I turned on the water faucet, another image of naked Eric floated into my brain. I quickly fought it and thought of something else. It was almost nightfall, and Eric would be up soon. I had to call him and find out if he was responsible for the images setting my senses ablaze.

I folded my arms across my chest and held myself tightly as part of me wanted to run back to Sam, pull down his pants and suck on something of his more fervently. I had to squash that urge immediately.

I fought to regain control of myself and wondered if I was experiencing Eric's lust for the opposite sex through our Blood Bond. It pained me to think this was how Eric acted towards other women. _Did he just fuck whatever walked in front of him and flirted with him?_ I shook the thought out of my head. _No, he's still asleep. It can't be that._

As I splashed cold water on my face and neck, I felt a sudden urge to run all the way home. I felt like flinging the bathroom door open and running as fast as my legs could carry me out of Merlotte's, since I didn't know how in the world I was going to face Sam now.

But I couldn't go home. I depended on the Friday tips. They basically made my whole week and I had lots of bills to pay. I closed my eyes and wondered what the hell I going to do.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for all you who took the time to review! *runs around the room happily* :)


	3. Buddy Advice

**Disclaimer:** The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

**SOOKIE POV**

The bathroom door flew open and Tara, who had stopped by the bar, stormed in. "Sookie, what's wrong? I saw you running in here and Sam was coming right behind you. What happened? Are you okay?"

My emotions overpowered me and I felt as if I was being hurled a million miles away. A sudden urge to hold on to Tara came over me and I held her, finally feeling anchored in place as I did so. My eyes watered, a lump formed in my throat, and I began to sob uncontrollably.

I felt some comfort in her embrace. It had been so long since I'd seen her last. I guessed her new marriage to JB kept her busy. Deep down inside, I was so jealous of her. The good, happy kind of jealous, though. _That kind exists, right?_

After I cried a bit, Tara asked me delicately, "Sookie, please tell me what's wrong. Did Sam do something to you?"

I started up with the waterworks again. "Oh, God, no! Tara, it was me!" I yelled between sobs. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I keep getting all these images of Eric, naked in my head, and . . . and I don't know why, but when Sam got close to me . . . I touched him."

"What?" Tara asked in disbelief. "You've been having naughty thoughts about Eric, the vampire? And you touched Sam? Where exactly did you touch Sam?"

I wiped my tears away and fought to control myself. "Oh, Tara! I feel terrible. I touched him . . . there. You know. On his . . . you know." I pointed my finger below Tara's waist and she raised an eyebrow in response. I thought she would've reacted a bit more surprised, but instead she just reached over and handed me a tissue so I could blow my nose.

"Okay, Sookie, okay. It's not the end of the world. I bet Sam didn't mind one bit. Why, I bet he thinks it's one of the best days of his life." Tara chuckled at the shocked expression on my face.

"Jeez, Tara! I'm glad you're finding the situation so amusing. I mean how am I going to face Sam? I work with him; he's my boss." I blew my nose and fought down the lump in my throat.

Tara chuckled even louder. "Well, I used to work here, too, you know. Back then, Sam and I had a little arrangement. Don't you remember? And it didn't bother my work one bit."

"What do you mean, _arrangement_? I thought you two were dating." I had calmed down some and threw the used tissue in the trash.

"Dating? Ah, no, Sookie. We were both alone at the time and we agreed to have sex together—no strings attached—just until we found someone we liked. It was a good arrangement, at least for me." Tara smiled like a Cheshire cat.

"And Sam went along with this? I mean he was okay with just being used? No love, just sex for pleasure?" I found Sam's involvement in something so sordid hard to believe. I could really see this being more of a Tara thing since I remembered how she had been involved in that sex club with Eggs.

Thinking of that night at the sex club brought another image of Eric upon me. This time we were on top of his Corvette, his body on mine, and he whispered to me, _"Yield to me, Sookie. Yield to me."_ Just thinking about the sensation of Eric's hardness on my body made me push Tara aside and splash some more cold water on my neck.

"Well, of course he went along with it. But after a while, we just ended our arrangement. It was good while it lasted. And no, we weren't using each other. We were just filling a basic human need. We were . . . what's the term they use now? Oh yes, fuck buddies."

_Fuck buddies – what? That sounds horrible_. "Oh Tara, I don't know; that doesn't sound romantic at all." I could see my words had hit a nerve as Tara's body stiffened.

"Oh, and I suppose what you have with Eric is going somewhere? Last time I checked, I didn't see a ring on your finger."

Of course, she just had to throw that at me. I felt as if I had been slapped into reality. Of course, that's what I'd been to Eric. His F buddy, and stupid me, once again I fooled myself into thinking a vampire could care for me.

Perhaps this was why Eric hadn't come to see me. He had gotten what he wanted from me and since he had no use for my "gift," there was no reason to see me.

_But wait, wasn't there more?_ Eric showered me with gifts which were thoughtful and considerate, and he was always there for me. I remembered how he had showed up in disguise that time at Club Dead. He was looking out for me—wasn't he?

I felt so confused and leaned on the bathroom wall for support.

Tara immediately sensed the pain her comment brought me. "I'm sorry, Sookie. I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's okay, Tara. God, I am so stupid. I'm always falling for these stupid vampires. First, it was Bill and what a mistake that was; he fed me nothing but lies. And now I'm up to my elbows with Eric. I really did think things were different with him since we were bonded. I thought I meant more to him. I . . . I guess I _wanted _to mean more to him," I finished in almost a whisper.

Tara squeezed my hand to comfort me.

"Tara, why do I always get it so wrong? Is there a way to make a man see you for more than an F buddy?" I made a face as the word came forth from my lips.

Tara relaxed again. "Why are you asking me this? Remember Sam and I ended our arrangement. We never took it further than that."

"But you're married now. I mean how did you and JB know you wanted something more in your relationship?"

"Oh, I see. Well, yes. It can be possible for a woman, in this day and age believe it or not, to make a man see her for more than just for that."

"How?" I stared at her, impatient for her response.

"Well, in order to have a successful relationship, you need to have lots of chemistry, great communication, and a deep respect and love for each other."

_Whoa, when did Tara get so wise?_

"Obviously, if you are having sex, the chemistry is there. You just have to work on finding things in common with him. Talk with him, do things that make you indispensable to him, and pretty soon he'll realize he can't live without you."

"But, Tara, Gran always used to say, _'Why buy the cow when you are getting the milk for free?'_ I mean if you were already giving the guy all the sex he wants, would he even care to get to know you, and take the relationship into something deeper?"

"Oh, Sookie. These are different times. And by the way, you picked a good time to remember your Gran, after how many times Eric has milked you now?"

Tara smiled and I soon followed. Our smile then turned into laughter. "Oh, Sookie. So you are in love with Eric. Is that what's bothering you?"

"In love with Eric? Well, I . . . I . . . "

"Oh, don't work yourself up, Sookie. You'll admit your feelings for him when the time is right. Right now, your problem is that you want to elevate yourself from being more than a how do you say it . . . an F buddy, right?"

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Well, another way to make a man realize they can't live without you is by giving them competition. You know, make him jealous."

"Of course. When I was with Bill and Quinn, Eric would chase me shamelessly. Now that I don't seem to have anybody, he's stayed away for three weeks."

"Three weeks! Sookie you have got to act fast, girl. Three weeks is a long time—for a vampire—I mean. They have to feed daily and who knows from what or whom Eric has been getting his "food" from all this time."

"Yeah . . ." I crossed my arms and leaned on the counter, lost in my thoughts.

"Sookie, are you really gonna sit around and wait 'till Eric comes into the bar with another girl, like Bill did?"

I snapped up and straightened my shoulders back.. "Oh, God, no! I can't let that happen. I know I have to do something. Thanks for talking to me, Tara."

"Hey, no problem. Just go out there and talk to Sam. Tell him you are acting crazy because you are on your period. Whenever you give that excuse to men for anything, they just take it and don't ask. It'll be okay; you'll see. C'mon, this is Sam we are talking about."

I nodded.

"Unless you want to make an _arrangement_ with him like I did? I'm sure he'd be thrilled about it."

"Tara!" We both began to chuckle and after I cleaned up my face, we exited the Ladies' room.

I was dreading having to see Sam standing right outside the bathroom door, but thankfully he was nowhere in sight. I got Tara her order and slowly but surely, the dinner crowd started coming into Merlotte's.

By six thirty, the sun had already gone down and Merlotte's had a full house. As soon as Tara stood up to leave, there were several people fighting for her booth, and I knew it was going to be an interesting night. Since we were so busy, Sam was expected to be at the bar or around the tables to make sure everything was running smoothly, but Sam was hiding out in his office, leaving Terry in charge of the place.

My shields were all the way up as it was hard to concentrate on my job with such a large crowd of people around me. But, it was turning out to be a good Friday night, and I kept busy waiting on tables and getting good tips.

By eight, I was getting pretty tired and I hadn't had a chance to take a seat for longer than a moment. No one was waiting to be seated and all my customers had been taken care of, so I leaned on the bar and told Terry I was taking a ten-minute break. He nodded and told me it was okay with him as long as I let Arlene know to spot check my tables while I was gone. I quickly spoke to Arlene, and made my way to the back break room.

As I walked to the employee lounge, I got curious to see what Sam was doing. Since he hadn't emerged from his office, I felt guilty for what I'd done to him. I knew I had to talk to him and let him know how sorry I was, at least to clear the air between us so we wouldn't have an awkward time around each other.

With a steel resolve, I knocked on his door.

"Come in," Sam said in a solemn voice. When I opened the door, Sam was sitting in his chair facing the wall.

I gulped. _What the hell am I going to say?_

* * *

A/N: Sorry this one had no lemony goodness, but I am making it up to you in the next chapter!

A/N2: Just a slight deviation from the books in this chappie – I integrated TB Tara with SVM Tara – since SVM Tara never had a relationship with Sam. Just a slight addition. *giggles* Thanks!


	4. Every Dog Has His Day

Disclaimer: The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - Updated  
**  
This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

**SOOKIE POV**

"Hey, Sam. I wanted to talk to you for a bit . . . if it's okay?" I asked him cautiously.

Sam cleared his throat, but didn't turn around to face me. "Close the door, Sookie, and take a seat. What's on your mind?"

I did as he asked. Relief flowed through my tired body since it was the first time I'd sat down all night. "Sam, I wanted to apologize for what happened earlier." I searched for a valid explanation, but finding none, I opted to take Tara's advice. "I guess it's that time of the month for me, and I acted a bit crazy. I swear it won't happen again. Please forgive me."

Sam finally turned and I could see the longing and hurt in his eyes. "Sookie, you kissed and touched me, and you're telling me it was all due to your time of the month? Are you serious?"

_Shit! Tara said that excuse worked for everything. _The realization quickly hit me. With Sam's supe senses, he could tell I was lying. _Shit! Shit! Now what? _I guessed the only thing to do now was tell the truth. "I can't put one past you huh, Sam? I'm . . . I'm sorry. I guess I'm embarrassed and I am having a tough time trying to explain myself, but I don't really know what happened."

"Sookie, are you with Eric right now, or what's going on? I thought you said you were bonded." Sam leaned forward in his chair.

"No and yes, I guess. I mean yes, I am bonded to Eric, but we aren't together . . . yet." I added that a bit apprehensively, showing how much in denial I was. It was evident to everyone around, if Eric hadn't bothered to come for me in almost a month, chances were he wasn't going to.

Sam sighed and relaxed back in his chair which let out a loud squeak. He tilted his head to the right and I saw he had a quarter-sized hickey mark on his neck. I gasped, and felt my cheeks burn red. "Oh my God, Sam! Did I do that to you?"

He lightly traced his neck with his fingers. "Yes, it would seem that way. Sookie, do you have feelings for me?"

"Of course I do, Sam. You are one of my few, true friends."

"Friend, Sookie? I'm sorry, but friends don't do what we just did, Sookie." Sam lowered his gaze and leaned back in his chair.

"Sam, that's why I'm so sorry. I know how you feel about me, and it must have confused you as to how _I_ feel."

He looked up at the ceiling to avoid my gaze.

I felt horrible for what I was putting him through. "Sam, the only thing I can think of that might be making me act this way could be the Blood Bond I share with Eric. You see . . . I . . . I've been having strange dreams and feelings lately. Sometimes, those feelings overpower me and make me act in way so unlike anything I'd normally do." I inched forward, thinking to hold his hand, but thought better of it.

Sam looked me over, trying to read my body language. He got out of his chair and made his way to the front side of his desk. With a loud sigh, he moved his name plaque and sat down, facing me.

I remained in my chair, looking up at him. To my horror, I realized our closeness was bringing that familiar warmth over me again. I quickly stood up.

Eric flashed before my eyes in his naked glory. _"Lover, look at me. Don't take your eyes off me,"_ he said, spreading my legs apart, and thrusting his fingers in my moistened sex.

"Sookie, I want to talk to you about this. Please answer me. Are you with Eric? Do you have feelings for him or—"

"Oh, Sam, I'm sorry. I have to go." I tried to keep myself from giving into Eric's image before me, but I couldn't get the picture of Eric thrusting into me mercilessly and sending me to ecstasy out of my head. "Oh . . . " I moaned and staggered forward as the imagery of Eric's perfect naked body, floating in my mind, was just too much for me to handle.

_"Tell me, Lover. Tell me what you want,"_ naked Eric purred in my head as he stroked his Gracious Plenty.

"Oh . . . "I moaned, falling into Sam's arms. "I can't stop myself. You just feel so good and your touch sets me on fire. God, I want you inside me . . . " I replied to Eric, but Eric wasn't in the room with me—Sam was.

Sam tilted my head up. "What did you say?"

I threw my arms around his neck, which made him flinch his shoulders back in surprise.

_No, this was not Eric. It's Sam!_ I started to shake away the image of Eric in my head as Sam's scent was invading my nostrils again._ Pull away!_ I told myself, but somehow my body would not respond. _Pull away; this is not Eric!_ I shouted louder in my head, but I still couldn't make myself move.

Having my arms around Sam felt so good. I wondered why I'd never noticed how warm he was, or how inviting his musky, masculine scent was. I pulled him closer to me and ran my hands down his back.

"Oh, to hell with it . . . " Sam threw his arms around me, too, and planted a kiss on me that almost came close to being as good as Eric's—almost. "Stop me, Sookie," he said, moving his mouth hungrily over mine. "Stop me, or tell me you want this as much as I do," he mumbled, then laid claim to my neck.

"Oh, yes, please don't stop . . . " I didn't have to tell him twice before he lifted the front of my T-shirt and slid his hands underneath my bra. I moaned as he squeezed my nipples and tugged on them, kissing me with all the passion he'd stored up for me over the years. "Please don't stop! That feels so good," I whispered as Sam kissed me and teased my hardened peaks.

As his kisses intensified, I felt an _on_ switch come to life within my body and I began to unbutton Sam's jeans.

Never stopping his assault on my lips, his hands left my nipples and he undid his pants. "Oh, Sookie, please touch me. Please," Sam begged me.

I quickly complied and grabbed onto his thick erection. _God, he feels so warm._

Sam gasped as I stroked him and I eagerly sought his lips again for a kiss. He lifted my shirt higher and pulled my bra cups down, fully displaying my breasts. "Oh, Sookie, you don't know how long I have been waiting to do this," he said, leaning down to tease the puckered tip with his tongue.

"Touch me. Please touch me. I'm yours. I'm yours," I said.

"Come here." Sam moved around to the other side of the desk where he was sitting, and turned around to face the wall. He moved his chair aside so he could have space to sit on the edge of his desk. When he sat down, he pulled me over to his side. He reached down and took out his cock, opening his legs wider so I could have better access to him. "Don't stop touching me, Sookie. Please, I've waited so long."

With my back on his chest, I snuggled into him and grasped his hardened length.

"Oh, yes," he moaned, thrusting his hips to the rhythm of my strokes. Just as I thought he was going to come, he stopped thrusting and embraced me. With one hand, he reached over to cup my breast, kneading and tugging on my nipple. He slid his other hand slowly down my shorts, which he unbuttoned with ease. He brought his warm fingers to my mound, and traced my folds delicately as if he was savoring the moment before he plunged them inside.

I looked up at him and relished the lustful look in his eyes.

He finally inserted his finger in me and I rolled my head back, inching closer to the intoxicating heat of his body. He kissed my neck lightly and inserted another finger in my aching core.

By now, I had completely lost my self-control. The warmth from his fingers was such a welcome sensation, I didn't last long as he teased my clit. I released on his expert fingers—stopping for a moment from pumping him as my body shook from the orgasm he'd just given me.

He took his fingers out and wiped my juices on his pants. "I want to get inside you, Sookie. Do you want me to get inside you?" he asked softly into my ear as he roamed his hands around my body.

"Oh, yes! Please fuck me, oh . . . please, Eric, I need you inside me. Make me yours, Eric. I love the way you fuck me, Eric!"

Sam abruptly stopped what he was doing. "Eric? What did you say, Sookie? Eric?"

My eyes must have hit the floor at how wide I opened them, but there was no time to explain.

The office door flew open and Terry blasted into the room.

I looked up at a mirror Sam kept above his desk and noticed Terry behind me. He was fuming and had his eyes affixed to some faraway place, not really registering what was in front of him. Both Sam and I were frozen in place—me with my hands on his pulsing erection already wet and slick with his pre-cum, and him with his arms around me.

"Sam, I need some help out there!" Terry shouted. The troubled vet kneaded his hands restlessly. Terry had that crazed look in his eye again. The same one he always got whenever he was stressed and memories of his time at war came to him. Luckily for us, we were facing the wall and he was too far gone in his thoughts to notice our strange positions.

Sam kept his back to Terry and we let go of each other. I quickly pulled up my bra and pulled the front of my shirt down. Both Sam and I then started to set the rest of our clothes to rights.

As I quickly glanced up at Terry behind me, I saw he was sweating and shaking his head around nervously, still not taking notice of what we were doing. He was so enraptured in his thoughts, it made me think about what he had been through when he had gone to war.

"Oh, Sookie, you're here, too," he said, briefly looking at us. "Hey, you said ten minutes! It's been longer than that, and I have my hands full out there." He looked up pensively and quickly went back to that faraway place in his head.

"Um . . . sorry, Terry," I said.

"Shit! This is worse than being in a firefight! Soldiers everywhere, guns going off. Everyone talking and screaming at once. Everyone yelling and no one knows what to do. I don't know if we have enough clam chowder, Sam. What if we run out of burger buns? How are we going to survive this night and make it back to base?" He kept rubbing his hands together looking at the floor as he mumbled incoherently.

"Terry. Terry! It's all right. Just calm down," Sam said.

Sam and I finished getting our clothes together and I was thankful Terry hadn't even registered Sam and I were in an embrace when he had walked in, much less noticed the guilty look on our faces.

"I'm sorry to burst in here, Sam, but we have a bigger than usual crowd today," Terry said, coming back to the present.

"Okay, Terry. Let's go handle this," Sam said.

We all proceeded to walk out of the office.

Now fully snapping to reality, Terry looked at Sam and then at me. "Oh, hey! I didn't interrupt anything did I?"

"No, nothing." I felt a pang of guilt as I saw the hurt look in Sam's eyes. "I'll be right with you guys; I just need to w-wash my h-hands," I stammered. Not sure what excuse to use, I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind. "I accidently touched some mayonnaise," I weakly said, feeling Sam's pre-cum on my fingers.

Both men looked at me.

"Yeah, same here, Terry," Sam added.

Terry waved his hands in the air. "We don't have time for that! The customers are yelling. I almost have a riot on my hands. I'll just grab you some ice from the cooler and you can clean your hands with that. It's just mayonnaise, for God's sake. Just lick it off!"

"Ugh, no, Terry," both Sam and I said at the same time.

"It won't take a minute," I finished saying.

We walked out into the restaurant and Terry wasn't kidding. Every table was occupied, and some people were standing by the door waiting for tables.

"Finally!" several angry customers, Arlene, and Holly cried out as we emerged from the back area. When both Sam and I started walking to the bathrooms, people made shucking noises in protest.

Terry quickly yelled, "It's okay, folks! They're just gonna wash their hands cuz they ran into some mayonnaise back there."

_Oh my God! Could this night get even worse?_ I felt my face redden again and I quickly made my way inside the Ladies' room. After washing my hands, I splashed more water on my face and neck. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ Once again, I had done things with Sam, and what was worse, he had done things to me as well. Now I really wanted to run out the door.

_Damn the tips!_ I yelled in my head, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Like Tara had said, it wasn't the end of the world. Besides, I had bills to pay and my modesty was going to do diddly squat.

I tried to shake everything off and I made a silent prayer that naked Eric would stay away from my thoughts before I did anything else I would regret later.

Images of Sam's erection in my grip came to my mind. _Ugh! Oh, my God! What have I done?_ My body shook partly in disgust and partly in need. I failed miserably to regain control of myself. Splashing more cold water on my face, I forced myself to stop thinking about that for the moment and concentrated on getting out of the bathroom and doing my job. Finally, after cleaning myself up and regaining some composure, I immediately went to my tables and made sure my customers were taken care of.

But I was still so flustered, I momentarily lost control of my shields.

_What the hell were they doing back there? _

_Was she giving him a blowjob or what? _

_Is that a hickey on his neck? _

_Mayonnaise my ass!_

Those were the general thoughts people sent my way. I quickly concentrated and brought my shields back up to stop hearing their mental comments.

It was hard work not looking up at Sam as the night dragged on. Somehow, though, I did it and I never looked at the other side of the bar. I was dying of embarrassment because of what I had done with him, not to mention the name I had screamed out after I climaxed on Sam's fingers. I just didn't know how the hell I was going to keep this job or ever look at Sam again. But that was something I was going to have to think about tomorrow. Tonight, all I could think of was my bills that weren't going to pay themselves.

I pushed the thoughts out of my head and quickly got things under control again. The rush at the bar finally died down, and even Jane—the town drunk—stopped ordering drinks and just sat there looking at her glass. I let out a sigh and felt exhausted. I had to look at the positive side, though. The night was not a total loss. I had made some really good tips and I was going to have a little spending money left over after I paid my bills. Maybe it would be enough to tide me over until I got a new job.

I made my table rounds again, asking customers if they needed anything else, and since I was busy walking back and forth, I wasn't at all prepared to handle the cool, smooth voice that came from behind me.

"Busy night, Sookie?"

From all the events that had happened that day, I was so wired I actually felt like I jumped out of my skin. My worst fear materialized before me. "Bill! Hi! Umm . . . "

"Yo, Sookie!" Terry yelled out at me while shaking the phone at me. "Phone call!"

I quickly turned around, thanking God for this momentary reprieve of not having to talk to Bill. "Hold on, Bill. Who is it, Terry?"

"Oh, I forgot to ask, Sookie. Hold on." Terry cradled the receiver. "Who is this again? Oh, you don't say. Well, that's mighty personal, sir. How about I just tell her your name? Okay, hold on. Sookie, it's Eric Northman."

My head spun around as I found myself in one heck of an OSM—oh shit moment. I sighed heavily, somehow knowing it wasn't going to be my last surprise of the evening.

* * *

**A/N:** How long had Bill been there? And would he notice/say anything?

**A/N 2:** I had no clue back in 2009 that Sam would be Sookie's end game, so I threw him a bone in this story. LOL


	5. Rumors & Bonds

**Disclaimer:** The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

**Eric's POV**

Things had been busy for me since the takeover. Mountains of paperwork had to be handed over to the new regime and playing host to Felipe, Victor, and Sandy really wore me thin. The whole process shouldn't have taken more than a week and a half, but since we were limited on time to come to agreements and make decisions because of sleeping during the day, one and a half weeks' worth of work had turned to three.

The last time I had seen my bonded was when Pam and I had gone to Merlotte's to tell her the new king was giving her formal protection. It was a brief encounter, much too brief for my taste. I wish we could have had more time to talk, but as things stood, I had too many eyes on me. I had to be careful and seven days later, when I received an unpleasant visit, I realized I was right to be cautious.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
FLASHBACK 7 days after  
seeing Sookie at Merlotte's  
Inside Eric's office at Fangtasia  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

"So, Sheriff," Victor practically hissed as he held up some documents in his hands. "These are all the financial statements of your district? I gather we gave you enough time to put everything in order?"

"Yes. You will find everything in order. If you require any further assistance, I have two human accountants and a financial adviser, who deal with this kind of transactions, ready and available twenty-four hours a day."

"Very well then. I see your financial matters seem to be in line. What about your personal matters?"

"Excuse me?" I knew very well what Victor meant: Sookie. However, I was not going to give him the satisfaction of giving him any information about her. I still did not know too much about this new regime, nor did I trust Victor's intentions with Sookie. I needed to be careful and logical about every step I took around him.

After all, it was still fresh in my mind how I was the _only_ Sheriff left under Sophie Ann's old regime. Although I made a lot of money for the king, I realized I was not indispensable. Probably the only thing keeping me alive right now was the fact Sookie had saved Felipe's life by running over Siegbert, and the reason she saved him was because she was Blood Bonded to me.

"Yes, Sheriff, your personal assets. Specifically, your Blood Bonded—Sookie Stackhouse?"

"Oh, of course. My child and I saw her last week at her place of employment to let her know His Royal Highness was offering her formal protection."

"I see," said Victor. "And Miss Stackhouse still works there—wasn't it the place the King was attacked at? The bar run by a shifter—Merlotte's?"

"Yes, the same," I replied rather coldly. I did not know where he was heading with all these questions, but they were irritating me and keeping me from my nightly meal.

Victor chuckled. "So the rumors are true, I gather?"

"What rumors exactly?" I inched forward in my chair and straightened my posture.

Victor straightened in his chair as well, letting me know he was not intimidated by me in the least. Well, I would have to put a remedy to that, but not now. It was still too soon. Right now, I had to tread carefully.

"Well, Sheriff. There are rumors your Blood Bonded is very obstinate and hardheaded. There is talk she can't be controlled. There are also rumors Miss Stackhouse was actually given large sums of money for her services to ensure her cooperation or otherwise she would not have bothered with us. Even more disturbing, are the rumors you follow her around like a lovesick teenager, showering her with gifts, and that you go out of your way to visit her in Bon Temps. _Those rumors_." Victor slid back on his chair, acting as if he had left a present on my desk and was saying, _"Okay, how do you respond to that?"_

I knew my answer would surely be scrutinized for weakness, so I did what I always do when cornered. I laughed—loud and booming. "A lovesick teenager? Really, Victor, is that what the rumors state?" I let my laughter slow to a chuckle.

Victor did not seem amused.

"Victor, Miss Stackhouse is my bonded and as such, I treat her as one of my highest assets. She has come in handy several times—especially in Rhodes. I'm sure you've heard of her invaluable work. The rumors she is hard to control are just that . . . rumors. She heels nicely when called upon by me. The payments she receives are gifts in appreciation for a job well done, nothing more." I made sure to keep my voice as cold and calculated as possible.

"I see. So you have no romantic interest in her? I mean the Blood Bond is purely for business purposes?"

Victor was really irritating me, but I hid it well. "Whatever transpires between Miss Stackhouse and I behind closed doors is not the kind of information I feel the need to divulge. As a gentleman, I don't kiss and tell."

"Very well, Sheriff. The King merely wanted to know where things stand as of late. He is not happy about the fact that someone, whom we offer our formal protection to, lives so far from her bonded and is forced to work at such a menial job. Of course, when we asked around, it seemed everyone said the same thing."

"And that was?" I asked.

"They all say you cannot control her and make her come live with you or near you. Of course this troubled His Highness because how are we to uphold our word?"

I leaned forward and steepled my hands on my desk.

Victor continued, "So, Eric, I hope you are taking steps to correct this matter, or should I tell His Highness to take things into _his_ own hands? Perhaps _he_ can convince her, after all, he is quite popular with the ladies."

I stood up from my chair and immediately knew I should not have, but when it comes to Sookie I rarely do the right thing. "That will not be necessary, Mr. Madden. As I stated before, Miss Stackhouse heels very nicely when I call on her. As a matter of fact, in two weeks' time I will send for her. Tell His Royal Highness she will be taken care of, and she will be living with me."

"All right, old sport."

I raised my eyebrows at his lack of respect. Victor was really pushing his luck.

"I will inform His Majesty on this. But why do you have to wait two weeks, Sheriff?" Victor asked.

"Well, _old sport_, it seems I have been living a bachelor's life and my current home reflects that. Two weeks should be plenty of time to buy a home better suited to my highest asset."

"Oh, so you are buying a love nest? Has your bonded tamed you already?" Victor snickered.

There was a knock on the door and I knew who was on the other side. I sat down. "Pam, enter."

"Master, I brought your nightly meal." Pam leered and exchanged glances between Victor and me. She had brought in three brunette girls in their mid-twenties, all dressed in black leather—the usual Fangtasia fangbanger attire.

"Tamed me, Victor? Nothing could be further from the truth. Now if you'll excuse me, I must feed my appetite . . . s." As soon as I said the extra S, the girls all started to giggle and gasp in anticipation.

"I see, Sheriff. I am surprised your bonded allows such an arrangement. I always thought human females required monogamy in their relationships. How progressive of her. Certainly the King would find this a most interesting bit of information."

"It has nothing to do with being progressive, Victor. I control her and she accepts whatever relationship I offer her. I don't even have to call her or make my presence known to her in order to control her. She knows who she belongs to."

"I see. Very well, Sheriff, I will leave you to your meals." Victor left the office chuckling to himself.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
END OF FLASHBACK  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

_Fucking hell!_ It seemed I was slipping in my old age. I tried to lay low and away from Victor as much as possible after that conversation. I chastised myself for making two mistakes in one night. First, I rose in a defiant pose to a superior and then I made it seem as if Sookie knew about my feeding routine. Of course Sookie didn't know.

As a matter of fact, there were several things Sookie didn't know. One of those things was the true nature of the Blood Bond. That information was something I could never tell Sookie because I know once she found out the truth, she would make it her life's ambition to end it. And that was something which did not suit my needs at all.

Blood Bonds were the equivalent of _the last resort_ when it came to making a human submit to your will. It was a procedure which was not to be taken lightly, and so few of my kind ever entered into one because they were permanent arrangements. They stayed in effect for the remainder of the human's life, which could be extended a few hundred years if you fed them your blood regularly. They were the _last resort_ because not many vampires liked to be tied down or remain in long-term relationships.

Still, there were two valid reasons for entering into a bond. The first was for business or practical purposes, and the second was that idiotic emotion humans labeled as _love_.

In the first instance, if a vampire found a human with invaluable talents such as being an artist, engineer, or one which had a special ability like Sookie's telepathy, then they would enter into the bond with a business or practical arrangement. Everyone would be happy in their own little world and there would be no relationship except that of Master and servant. As a Master, you would offer your protection to the human and grant them a longer life without the human having to give up the sun. Since both parties benefited from the arrangement, it made for an ideal partnership.

But there was also a strong advantage to be gained by the vampire when entering this type of business Blood Bond. A vampire could easily control the human for a longer period of time without letting their brains turn to mush like glamouring did. There were only so many times you could glamour a human before you left them like a vegetable, so the Blood Bond along with ingesting regular doses of the Master's blood allowed a vampire to keep the human's skills intact, and you were able to make them submit utterly to your will by the power in your blood. It was unfortunate I could not test this on Sookie, since she rarely took my blood.

Vampires employed the second reason of the Blood Bond when they became enamored with a human who did not return their feelings. Glamouring would only take the relationship so far and would only be a temporary fix. So, these lovesick saps would force the human to enter into a Blood Bond to control their feelings for a longer period of time without the aftereffects of the glamour. This type of relationship often included monogamy, which increased the intensity of the magic in the bond.

When I entered into the Blood Bond with Sookie, I told myself it really was the _last resort_, and I hoped to control her with my blood. Sookie was nothing if not stubborn and strong willed. The only time she bent to my will was when I stuck my cock inside her and fucked her senseless. But even that only worked for a short while because she still resisted my will and influence. This fact became apparent when at the first chance she had, she left my side and took up with that miserable tiger at Rhodes.

The rumors had really taken off then. No matter whom I split in two, the rumors continued to grow. Most circulated on how a human girl was able to resist my charms and stood up to me—the Mighty Eric Northman. That's when they started saying I was in love with her and sent her gifts with love notes no less.

I was still trying to live down the fact that on the night of the takeover, I left my people and went straight to her. I know that was a stupid thing to do from a leader's point of view, but she was an asset that needed to be protected. However, my explanations did not convince many, and the rumors grew behind my back.

But I have had enough. It was finally time to deal with Sookie. Things could not have worked out better for me when the takeover took place. That night marked the end of Sookie's involvement with the worthless tiger since he betrayed her. His betrayal saved me the time and effort of finding a way to kill him without anyone suspecting me.

This time; however, I had the upper hand and I would control her. My two weeks were up and I had to deal with Sookie tonight and convince her to come to live with me in Shreveport. I could already hear her protests about keeping her job with the shifter and staying in her home.

However, I was not without any tricks. I had been using the Blood Bond to make her more pliable to my will. I had been sending her _message_s of me. Images actually, of what to expect when she stays with me. I wish I could have seen her face when I sent her my thoughts full of lust and desire. I had been sending them daily to her when she first woke because that was when her mind was more susceptible to my call. But even then, I could feel her fighting me, resisting me. I am beginning to wonder if like glamour, she is also resistant to our bond.

I will have to start giving her my blood regularly, hopefully that will make the difference. Nothing will give me more pleasure than to see her kneel before me and call me Master. Today, I bombarded her with my image several times so when she heard from me tonight, she would be salivating and panting for me to take her.

No more would I play the part, of how did Victor phrase it, _the lovesick teenager_ and the enamored gentleman caller I knew she enjoyed seeing me in. I had enjoyed it as well—for a time. It was all part of the game of seduction I loved playing with Sookie so I could make her feel comfortable around me, but I was done playing that role.

I still remember the night of the takeover when I smelled her bed and all the memories of our time together rushed into me. I was devastated. _Had I really acted like such a fool?_ If I could, I would have thrown up after remembering how I told her I would give up everything for her. I hid my face in my hands in shame. I quickly composed myself and then told her what she wanted to hear. It seemed like she had bought that my time with her had been the happiest time I had in hundreds of years.

_Yes, tonight I will make Sookie heel nicely and bend to my will. I will show everyone who Eric Northman is. Not even her Prince great-grandfather could save her from my control. I will make him see Sookie cannot live without me and not even he can interfere with my plans._

I looked up when I heard Pam knock on my office door. "Enter."

"And who are you thinking about, Master, who has put such a big smile on your face? Let me guess, blonde, big tits, and answers to . . . oh yes, no one."

Normally I would engage Pam and laugh at her comments, but I was not up for jokes tonight. I gave Pam a cold stare letting her know not to push the matter further.

"Has Compton left to pick Sookie up yet?"

"Yes, Master. He left at a quarter after seven. He called a little after eight, saying he had arrived."

"Eight? Why didn't you let me know?"

"You were in the middle of having your meal, Master, and I know how you don't like to be disturbed."

_Oh yes, the two redheaded twins and the brunette_. "Oh that reminds me Pam. Let's cut back on redheads for a bit."

"Why is that, Master? Are you finding yourself preferring blondes now?"

Pam never knew when to quit. "I have my reasons; that is all." I still could not forget the sensation I felt earlier tonight. I thought I had heard Sookie calling out to me, and her voice made me stop attending to my meals. Had I been human, I would have surely broken into a sweat. I was filled with an overwhelming feeling of need and being on the cusp of climaxing, then abruptly stopping. A wave of guilt came over me then, making me throw my meals off my cock when they started sucking on it and I stopped them from touching me. _Where was this guilt coming from? From Sookie?_ I quickly dispatched the blood sacs as I had already fed my blood appetite for the night.

"And what is that reason? The same reason you made me glamour them to forget they had been with you?" Pam continued her tease.

I completely ignored her snide remark. "What time is it, _child_?" I stressed the last word to let her know to drop it.

"It's eight forty-two, _Master_."

Of course she stressed the last word as well. "Well, has Compton not made contact with Sookie, yet? What did he say when he called at eight?" _Goddamn Compton. What the hell was he up to?_

"He said Sookie was not out in the main floor. When he asked the bartender, he said she was taking a ten-minute break and would be out shortly. He also said there was a large crowd of people and things seemed very busy."

"Call him on his cell. I will speak to him."

"I already tried that, Master. It seems he either turned off his phone or he is out of range."

"Call the shifter's bar. I will talk to her myself."

Pam dialed and handed me the phone.

"Merlotte's, Terry here."

"Is Sookie Stackhouse working tonight?" I asked into the receiver.

"Yes, who's calling?"

"Eric Northman." _Could the damn shifter not afford caller I.D.? _I had to pull the receiver a bit from my ear as he yelled over to Sookie.

"Yo, Sookie! Phone call!"

I heard her reply, "Hold on, Bill. Who is it, Terry?"

_Goddamn Compton what the fuck was he doing?_ Well a few hours wrapped in silver would surely make him think twice before disobeying my orders again.

"Oh, I forgot. Oh wait. Who is this again?" Terry mumbled into the phone.

"Tell her it is her Lover. She knows who I am," I said wickedly. I wish I could see the look on Compton's face when this idiot told her that. _Where did the shifter find these people anyway?_

"Well that's mighty personal, sir. How about I just tell her your name?"

_Idiot!_ "Fine! Eric. _Eric Northman_!" It was like talking to a brain dead zombie.

"Okay. Hold on. Sookie, it's Eric Northman."

_Finally! By the gods, I felt surrounded by morons._

* * *

**A/N**: Ever since I read the first book, _Dead Until Dark_, where Sookie looks into Eric's mind (right before he kills Longshadow), I had always been wary of Eric. You know when Sookie reads in his mind how Eric could make her do whatever he wanted as long as he threatened to hurt one of her loved ones, but he was trying to mainstream and didn't want to kill anyone unless he had to. And then, Sookie likened his mind to a pit of snakes—devious and dangerous.

Of course, I set aside my caution after the whole Hallow-curse-sex-marathon in Book four, but what girl wouldn't? I mean who the hell could say no to Eric the sex god? Then there was Bill's constant remarks that Eric was not what he seemed and would hurt our Sookie, too. Tsk tsk. Hmm. Maybe that's why Sookie resists Eric the way she does. In either case, this is just how I think the real Eric is: devious and always looking out for number one. Plus, he'll never admit how much he really cares for Sookie as he sees this as a weakness. If only he would come to grips that Sookie has him wrapped around her little finger! LOL Just love that Viking ;)

It's a shame Charlaine Harris never lets us see what (or whom) Eric is doing when Sookie isn't around him. I wish she would make a series just on Eric!

Thank you all who took the time to review! Your reviews really make my day and inspire me to write faster.


	6. A Little Southern Comfort

**Disclaimer:** The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

**Sookie's POV**

"Sookie, it's Eric Northman."

As Terry said Eric's name, I froze, and I felt as if I flat lined then suddenly jolted back alive by an electric shock to my heart.

_Eric! My Eric was calling! He was calling me!_

If I was a world class gymnast with years of experience and gold medals on my mantel at home, I would do all those fancy backflips and somersaults all the way to the phone, but since I'm just a telepathic barmaid, I opted to run.

While I made a mad dash to the phone, I heard Sam ask Terry, "What did Eric say that you answered 'That's mighty personal, sir'?"

"Eric . . . oh, Eric, is it really you?" I panted into the phone breathlessly as I grabbed the phone from Terry.

"Oh," Terry replied in a lowered voice to Sam. "He said he was her lover."

Sam glared at me as I continued to talk over the phone.

Eric chuckled. "Yes, my Lover. Who else do you know called Eric Northman?"

"Oh, Eric. I am so glad you called." I couldn't believe I was still panting over hearing his voice, since I didn't take too many steps to get to the phone. _Was I out of shape?_

"Well, my Lover, it is good to see I still leave you breathless."

I grinned from ear to ear hearing the sultriness in his deep voice, and my toes curled up in happiness. Oh, how I'd missed him and the way he talked to me. "Eric, I need to see you. Desperately, as a matter of fact. I _really_ need to see you."

"What is the matter, Lover, have you missed me that much?"

"Eric, please. This is a matter of life and death. Something happened tonight and I have to tell you that I . . . I . . . "

_CLICK._ The dial tone sounded loudly in my ear.

"Sookie, call your _lover_ on your own time. Right now, you are on _my _time and I pay you to wait tables not to talk on the phone." Sam was furious as he grabbed the phone away from me and slammed it down.

I was shocked, though I understood why he was so upset. We had almost . . . I threw up a wall in my mind not wanting to think about what Sam and I had done and almost completed. I scanned Sam's mind for a second to gain some perspective to try to calm him.

_Fucking vampires! After all this time and everything they've done to her, and she still wants those goddamn bloodsuckers. How could she? I can't believe I was so stupid to believe she cared for me. God, I . . . I love her and she was just . . .she was just playing with me . . . _

Sam was devastated. It broke my heart hearing him think that way. As I wondered what I was going to do, the phone rang again and Terry instinctively answered it.

"Merlotte's, Terry here. Yeah, she's here, but Sam said she needs to get back to work and not talk on the phone."

"Hang up the fucking phone, Terry," Sam said still infuriated. "Tell _Loverboy_ he can call Sookie on her personal time. Right now she's working _for me_." Sam didn't wait for Terry to say anything. He knew Eric would hear him. He forcefully took the phone from Terry, and slammed it down once more.

I quickly let go of my guilty feelings and felt my anger rise up in its stead. "Sam Merlotte, I can't fucking believe you just did that to me!" I yelled at him, not caring that the customers were staring at us. "You give me that phone right now!" I demanded.

"Sure thing, Sooks. Here ya go!" Sam replied, yanking on the phone until the line ripped off the wall's phone jack. "Take all the time you need," he said, his voice laced with venom.

I balled my hand into a fist as a wave of rage flowed through me, and all I could think of was ripping Sam's head off. A spell of dizziness made me step back as I tried to reel in the powerful emotions surging through me.

"What the hell is going on here?" Bill had taken his time walking up to the bar and was eyeing us both suspiciously. "Both of you need to calm down," he said, bringing his voice down in the soothing tone which always sent shivers down my spine.

"Bill, do you have a cell phone? I left mine in my purse and I really need to speak to Eric." I clenched my teeth, trying to calm down.

"Sure, Sookie. Here just dial two, it's already pre-programmed to call Fangtasia. Oh wait, I have to turn it on." Bill turned on his cell, and handed it to me.

Sam walked from behind the bar and took the cell away from me, grabbing my arm in the process. "You. Come with me, now."

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Sam Merlotte! I'm taking a fucking break and I am calling Eric!" I yelled, the anger surging through me again.

"Another _fucking_ break Sookie? I didn't know that's what you were calling them now. Oh, and who are giving a hand job to this time? Bill?"

I slapped him hard across the face with everything I had. Bill grabbed me and with his vampire speed took me to the parking lot, only to disappear the moment we got outside. I heard Sam shouting inside the restaurant and I decided to head for the door to see what was going on.

When I got to the front door, Bill had pushed Sam all the way into his office. Jane, the town drunk, chose that moment to come out of her drunken stupor and started screaming. Everyone quickly reacted and started getting out of their chairs.

I heard Sam shouting, "I am going to fucking stake you! I have had it with all you fucking vampires!"

All hell broke loose, and everyone started screaming and running outside, hoping to avoid the ensuing fight. Unable to move, I stood at the entrance as people rushed by me to leave.

Arlene stared at me and took me aside. "This is all your fault! If something happens to Sam, it's on you for messing with those damn vampires. Holly, let's get out of here! Wherever there's one vampire, another's sure to come and I sure as hell don't plan on being vampire food tonight."

Her words finally brought me out of my stupor, and tears started rolling down my cheeks as I wondered how my day had gone so horribly wrong. I wiped my eyes and saw that everything had changed around me.

The once full bar was now empty except for Jane who was asleep on the counter and Terry who was laughing at the ensuing events.

"That sure was one hell of a slap, Sookie. Remind me to never hang up the phone on you." Terry chuckled, placing his cleaning towel down on the bar, not noticing I was crying. "Well, we did it, soldier," he said, and I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or to some imaginary figure he was seeing in his mind. "Mission accomplished. We managed to stay alive 'till the end of the night and didn't run out of burger buns or clam chowder. Wanna help me clean up?" he asked, moving around the bar to clean up the tables.

_Sweet Shepherd, he's lost it._ I swallowed with great effort and held back my tears. "Um . . . Terry? I'll be right back, okay?"

Terry didn't seem to hear me and continued to clean.

I walked over to Sam's office where I could still hear Bill and Sam struggling, and I noticed Sam's door was smashed to bits on the floor.

"Calm down, you stupid shifter! Do you have a goddamn death wish?" Bill asked, pinning Sam on his desk.

I was about to get worried Sam might get hurt, but I noticed Bill's fangs were only halfway out, and I knew Bill was only trying to restrain him. "Bill, please don't hurt him!" I yelled, just in case Bill had other plans.

Bill nodded and tried calming Sam down by using his name. "Settle down, Sam! I didn't come here to fight you. I just want to talk to you, Sam."

"You fucking vampire! Just wait 'till daytime, you fucker! I'll stake your fucking ass! Let go of me!"

Bill looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, Sookie. This is for his own good." He punched Sam across the jaw. The blow sent Sam halfway across his office, and after he hit the wall, he landed face first on the office floor—unconscious.

"Oh my God, Bill! What the hell have you done? Why did you hurt him like that?" I ran to Sam's side as he lay crumpled on the floor. I started crying again, knowing I had been the reason Sam had gotten hurt.

With his vampire speed, Bill made his way over to me and started shaking me. "Sookie, get a hold of yourself. Now!"

"Okay, okay." I started to calm down and began wiping off my tears with my apron.

"Do you mind explaining to me why you and Sam have each other's scents all over each other and in this office?" Bill's blue eyes pierced right though me.

"I don't know what to say, Bill. I don't know what happened. I don't know what happened!" I began to sob again and put my arms around Bill, shaking with each sob that came out of me. He held me there for a while and comforted me as I cried on his shoulder.

He ran his fingers through my hair and held me closer to him. "Sookie, did he force himself on you? You have to tell me. Eric will know how to deal with him. Trust me, please. Maybe . . . maybe . . . Eric won't kill him . . ."

_Kill him?_ The words sunk into me, freezing my tears as the gravity of the situation finally became clear. Yes, I was bonded to Eric now, and in the vamp world, he was responsible for me. But I couldn't believe Eric would kill Sam. I wasn't his property. After all, if he didn't kill Quinn, and I left with Quinn after Eric and I bonded at Rhodes, then he wouldn't kill Sam. _Right? _"You're wrong, Bill. Eric would never do that." I pulled myself off his arms.

Bill let out a humph noise from under his breath. "Oh that's right, Eric is such a pillar of morality and a gentleman. How could I have forgotten."

"Stop it, Bill. I won't have you talking bad about Eric. Eric's always been there, at my side, whenever I've needed him. He's never disappointed me. Not once!" I turned around from Bill and walked over to where Sam was lying down. "Besides, Sam didn't do anything. It was . . . me." The last word slithered out of my mouth, barely audible except to Bill's vampire ears.

"You? I don't understand. You forced yourself on the shifter?" Bill looked at me incredulously.

"Sweet Shepherd, Bill! Strange things have been happening to me lately. I've been seeing these images of Eric in my head and . . . and . . . "

"And you caught your fingers in the mayonnaise jar?" Bill was looking at me with a grin on his face. His fangs had already retracted and he started to laugh.

"This isn't funny, Bill," I said, making sure Sam was still breathing.

"I know it's not, Sookie. I just can't help to think what Eric's going to do about it. I hope you realize he won't take this lightly. And speaking of Eric, I have news from the illustrious Sheriff of Area Five. I was sent here tonight to let you know he wants you to go live with him in Shreveport."

"What?" I was shocked. Maybe a little happy, but yes, very shocked.

"Yes, it seems the King was not at all content when he found out you were living so far away from your bonded and his protection. He entrusted Eric to make sure to keep the oath of protection we swore to you and De Castro demands you live closer to Eric; ideally with him."

"Oh." _Well that sounds pretty practical and rational. _I tried not to show my disappointment in thinking anything romantic was involved with Eric's request. I sighed as my hopes of Eric coming to Bon Temps in a white horse and asking me for my hand in marriage were indefinitely dashed.

"That reminds me. Let me call him and let him know you are fine and not to worry." Bill picked up his cell and dialed Fangtasia. "Let me speak to Sheriff Northman. What? When? Okay, thanks. Yes, this is Bill." Bill looked at me with a horrified look on his face. "Sookie, we have to hurry. Eric is on his way here and the way he drives we don't have a lot of time."

"We don't have time for what?" I finished wiping my tears with my apron and was ready to grab my purse and go home.

"Sookie, I know you don't want to hear this, but Eric will not stand for this. He will hurt Sam. He might even hurt you. When Eric gets angry, he gives into the bloodlust. You smell of Sam and he smells of you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Bill, I'm not stupid! Of course I understand what you're saying. But why, Bill? Why do you always have to pin Eric as some sort of monster? I don't believe that for one second! I'm sure once I explain the situation, he will understand."

Bill grabbed my arms and shook me as if to wake me up. His eyes were full of panic. "Do you really want to take that chance against a one thousand-year-old vampire's bloodlust? I'm sorry, Sookie, but I won't take that chance with your life. Please, listen to me! If ever in your life you listened to someone, listen to me, now!" Bill pleaded as he gripped my arm.

"Let go of me, Bill," I whispered from the pain, trying my best to wiggle out of his grasp. When I realized I couldn't get away, I asked, "What do you want from me?" Whatever he answered wouldn't make me doubt Eric, but at that moment, Bill was really starting to scare me.

"Help me take Sam to his house. He should be safe there since that is one place Eric can't go into." He paused and thought for a moment as he kneeled down in front of Sam. "Unless he burns down his house," Bill mumbled.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"His house–I also can't–won't go into Sam's house. So Eric doesn't make me invite him in. I'll take Sam as close as I can to his house and you will have to drag him the rest of the way inside."

"All right. That sounds good. I mean, until I can explain to Eric what happened. I don't want there to be a misunderstanding."

Bill ignored my words and kept telling me his plan. "I'll also need to get a hold of some vinegar and we'll use it to spray down Sam's office to conceal your scent. You'll also have to get out of your clothes, which reek of the shifter, and burn them."

"Vinegar? Vinegar really does that?" Of all the questions I could've asked, it amazed me I thought this was the one I needed clarification on.

"Yes, Sookie. There are hundreds of uses for it, but I don't have time to explain right now. We have to hurry."

For the next few minutes, I felt as if I was on automatic pilot. I tagged along while Bill went outside behind Merlotte's to Sam's house.

Bill carried Sam on his shoulders effortlessly like a sack of potatoes, and got as far as the trailer steps, then put Sam down. "This is as far as I can go Sookie. You have to drag him in yourself."

It had been awhile since I had some vampire blood, but I believed I still had a little bit of extra strength left in me because I got behind Sam, my feet at his back, and easily lifted him into a sitting position. I put my arms under his and clasped my hands in front of his chest. I then pulled him back and dragged him across the steps into his house. Once inside, I locked all the doors and windows to make sure no one would get in without his say so.

"There, Bill. He's in. Now what?"

"Where do you keep the vinegar?"

"Oh, Sam orders that by the case load. I'm not really sure why, now that I think about it, but it's there. In the back." I put my questions aside and we made our way in through the front entrance of the bar. Only Jane and Terry were inside. Jane had just woken up, demanding another drink from Terry.

"Sookie, get them out of here. I don't know what's going to happen when Eric gets here."

The more time I spent with Bill, the more his worried demeanor turned into one of full-on panic. I was ashamed to say he was staring to influence my feelings as well.

"All right," I told Bill. "Terry, Sam said to take Jane home and take the rest of the night off."

"Well, that's mighty kind of Sam," Terry said, finally looking into my eyes for the first time that night. "Well, shoot, Sookie, you ain't gotta tell me twice. C'mon, Jane I'll take you home before the Boss changes his mind."

"Here, let me help you." With his vampire speed, Bill picked up Jane and motioned to Terry, asking him where his car was at. I made sure to remind Terry to have him change the sign to CLOSED up ahead on the road so we wouldn't have any unexpected customers.

"Don't worry, Sookie. I'll take care of the sign," Bill said as he left with Terry and Jane.

I couldn't believe it had been a good fifteen minutes since everyone left and the police still hadn't been called in to investigate. I guessed no one wanted to be involved after they left without paying, but what about Arlene and the staff? Why didn't they call the police? I shrugged my shoulders and sighed, guessing it was right you found out who your friends really were in a time of crisis.

Taking advantage that he was preoccupied, I decided to wash Sam's scent off myself with a bucket of tried and true water. Washing myself down outside by the Dumpster seemed like the perfect place.

"Sookie?" I heard Bill's panicked voice yelling out to me.

I had just hauled a bucket of clean water out the back and was about to take off my shoes. _Shit! Too late._ "I'm here, Bill!" I shouted, coming back in to Merlotte's.

"What are you doing back there?" he asked, looking wildly behind me.

"Nothing, just . . . taking out the trash." I didn't think it was wise to reveal I didn't quite trust in him or his plan.

"Oh, Sookie. We don't have time for that. Come on, show me to the storage room."

I nodded and felt like I was running on pure adrenaline. I took him to the storage cellar in the back of the employee lounge where Sam stored the gallons of vinegar he ordered.

Next to the gallons, I found some extra employee T-shirts and warm-ups, and remembered Sam saying he wanted to start selling clothes with the Merlotte's logo on it, but somehow never got around to it. Luckily for me, he hadn't gotten rid of the samples he had ordered. Searching through the supplies, we found two plastic glass cleaner bottles. We emptied and cleaned them out, then poured the vinegar inside them.

By now, Bill's frenzy had fully infected me and I began mimicking his panicked steps. I ran with him back to Sam's office, and we began to spray down the desk and basically anywhere Bill said he could smell me. For a split second, I felt as if I was in a mobster movie and I was _The Cleaner_ getting rid of the incriminating evidence.

"Bill, wait, don't you have to change your shirt, too? I mean, you carried Sam and didn't the scent rub off on you?"

"Oh yes, I completely forgot, but don't worry it's just my shirt."

"Right." _What the hell am I saying? Sookie, get a grip on yourself!_ I practically screamed inside my head and rolled my eyes, disgusted with myself.

"Bill, look. I really appreciate what you're doing, but maybe you should leave. I'm sure I can handle Eric."

"No. I won't leave you alone, Sookie. Besides, I was ordered to be here. It would not look favorably on me if I wasn't present. I can just imagine the rampage Eric's going to go on, driving all the way from Shreveport. He could have just flown, but he's coming with Pam, and that's not good."

"What's it matter if Eric's got Pam with him?" I asked.

"You don't know Pam like I do. I don't know what Eric is going to do when he gets here, but bringing Pam with him is not a good sign he intends to talk things through."

"Okay, Bill. So we've moved from Eric being a monster to now adding Pam in the mix as well. Bill, would you please listen to yourself? I think you need to calm down. Eric and Pam would never hurt me."

Bill moved towards me in his vampire speed, his face centimeters from my own. He curled his fingers in my face as if he was restraining himself from wrapping them around my neck. "I do not have time to explain, Sookie," he said, carefully enunciating each word. "You are going to have to trust me. I know you don't like to hear anything bad about Eric, but he is not what he seems. He _will _kill you if he needs to. Do you understand that? One day . . . one day you will see for yourself who the true Eric is. I pray you survive that day."

Bill's crazed look was making me shake in my boots, but I had to get a hold of myself and keep it together. The night was far from being over, and one of us had to maintain a level head, because for Bill it was just too late. The man was gone.

I started panicking a little when I started to think just what _was_ Eric going to do when he got here. Was he going to listen to me, or would he give into the bloodlust like Bill said he would?

I made myself believe Eric would listen and give me a chance to explain what had happened. After all, I remembered the time in Dallas when we were shot at by a group of zealots and Bill, giving into his bloodlust, left me to pursue them while Eric stayed behind with me. Surely, this proved Eric had better control of his emotions than Bill did. I put all my trust and faith in Eric. _But if that's the case, then why am I doing everything's Bill telling me to do?_

"So are you with me?" Bill asked.

I was about to tell him to go to hell, when something in his look froze my tongue in place and made me wish a thousand times over I had stayed with Sam inside his house instead of with Bill. Somehow, Bill's look didn't seem like he would take no for an answer. "Y-y-yes," I answered him weakly.

Bill quickly nodded and we began spraying the office until Bill said my scent was gone. We then rushed back to the employee lounge where we disposed of the bottles and Bill grabbed two employee T-shirts and one pair of sweat pants as well as two more gallons of vinegar. He also grabbed some lighter fluid and some matches. "We need an open space so we can pour this over ourselves," he said.

"Pour it on us?" _Sweet Shepherd, he's gone off the deep end_. _How the hell am I going to get away from him?_ "How are we going to dry ourselves?" I asked, hoping I'd stall him.

"Here, we can take the rest of the extra clothes and use them as towels." Bill shoved the clothes in my hands. "Now, please hurry, Sookie. We don't have much time."

Not looking forward to being drenched in vinegar under Bill's crazy plan, I tried to walk as slowly as possible until Bill got behind me and pushed me along. In no time, we exited out the back entrance and stood by the Dumpster.

"Bill, are you sure about this? I think maybe we ought to wait."

"There's no time. Take off your clothes. I have to cover your whole body with this. Head to toe."

"You've got to be kidding me! You're gonna pour that on my hair, too?

"Yes, you have the shifter's scent all over you."

"But how am I going to explain wet vinegar hair?"

"We'll think about explanations later. Right now we have no time to spare. Eric will be here shortly. Strip!" he ordered, coming at me menacingly.

His words and his body movements left me cold. Bill looked scared, distraught, and well crazy. I had never seen him act like this, not even when he was fighting against the King of Arkansas or the night of the takeover when we thought we were living our last moments.

Bill didn't give me much time to think it over before he started ripping my clothes off me.

"Bill!" I tried to protest, but before the words left my lips, he had already taken the new clothes from me, placed them on top of the Dumpster, and my employee uniform lay in tatters by my feet. I stood there naked before him, dressed in only my socks and sneakers. I quickly set to cover my breasts and my kitty kat. "What are you doing, Bill?" I felt my fear flowing through my veins. Flashbacks of when I was trapped in the car trunk with him in Mississippi quickly came to my mind and I started shaking. _Eric! Eric!_ I called to my Viking in my mind. _Please hurry! Hurry, oh my God! He's going to . . . oh my God!_

I stepped back in fear until I hit the wall, but instead of coming towards me, Bill started to undress as well. In a few seconds, we were naked in front of each other, and in his vampire speed, Bill took our clothes and put them on a dirt mound on the ground.

As I contemplated what to do and how far I could run before he caught up to me, Bill sprayed the lighter fluid on the clothes and struck a match, setting them on fire. Before I could blink, he handed me one of the vinegar gallons.

"Quickly, Sookie. You must wash the shifter's scent off you. Now!"

I stood there, leaning on the wall in shock. I thought he would try to take me by force, but I felt confused as I saw him pour the vinegar on his chest–just as he said he was going to do. Slowly, I opened the gallon and began to calm myself as I realized Bill was not going to hurt me.

By the time I took the lid off the container, Bill was already done pouring the vinegar on his chest. He looked at me to see how much progress I'd made. A sudden realization hit me. If Bill only needed to wipe down his chest and shoulder area, why did he have to get naked?

"Here, let me help you." Bill grabbed the vinegar from me, breaking me from my thoughts. Before I could tell him no, he pulled me off the wall, and using his vampire speed, poured the liquid on my hair and down my shoulders, covering my body with it. He then tipped the container, put some vinegar into his cupped hand and began stroking the cold liquid all over my breasts.

This was definitely not the time or place to get aroused, but with the mixture of feeling Bill's hands on my body, the warm liquid on my skin, and the adrenaline rush swirling inside me, I couldn't stop from feeling something stir in me.

It also didn't help matters that Bill was taking his sweet time pouring the vinegar across my breasts. He delicately touched my peaks, stroking and pinching my nipples lightly with the tips of his fingers until they hardened under his touch. His fangs came down and his eyes locked onto mine. I felt lightheaded and leaned back onto the wall to support myself before my legs gave out.

"Bill, the fire," I managed to speak to break free from his intense gaze. Bill hesitantly looked away from me and put out the fire with a nearby stick and some dirt. He then picked up the burnt clothes and threw them inside the Dumpster, washing his hands with the vinegar again.

I brought my hands up to attempt to cover myself. "Bill, I . . . I'm going to dress myself inside."

"We aren't done yet. The scent is strongest between your legs."

His statement brought me out of my dazed state. There was no way he was going to touch me there. He must have sensed my sudden change of mood and placed his hands on my shoulders.

"Sookie, I'll pour it and you rub it in, okay?" He stepped back, taking his hands off my shoulders. He tilted the bottle over, looking at me with a smirk on his face.

"Is this it?" I asked him. "Once we do this, we can go in, right?"

He nodded and I moved my hands and spread my legs, hoping to get the ordeal over with as soon as possible. I hissed as he poured the warm liquid on my stomach and it began to flow downward on my body. The vinegar completely missed the area it needed to get on, and Bill instinctively placed his hand in between my legs to catch the liquid and direct it to where it needed to go.

I froze in place, not knowing what to do, and cursed myself for listening to Bill in the first place. I sucked in a breath as Bill was having the time of his life, rubbing his hands in between my thighs, moving them upwards to my sex.

"Oh, Sookie . . . " Bill moaned.

"Bill, stop," I managed to say, seeing his arousal come up at full attention. I knew I had to run away from Bill and stop his fingers from further advancing on me. I put my hands on his shoulders and it was my intention to shove him back, when I suddenly sensed Eric's presence near me. I felt an overwhelming amount of lust, longing, and desire flow through me and my body shuddered uncontrollably. Eric was so close to me. I could practically fucking touch him.

_Oh, Eric . . . _

The haze of lust, which had been plaguing me all day, took a hold of me again, and I reached out, taking hold of Bill by his erection, pulling him towards me. Bill quickly responded, crashing his body onto mine and we began to kiss as I stroked him fervently.

"Ah, I missed your body on mine. Please take me . . . please . . . " I said to Eric, only I was stroking and talking to Bill.

"I've missed you too, sweetheart. I've missed you so much," he said, cupping my breasts in his hands and kissing me.

I moaned as Bill bent his knees and brought his erection between my legs. He ran it along my moistened sex and his mouth claimed mine, our tongues fighting for dominance over each other. He thrust his hips as he slid between my thighs, almost as if he was hesitant to enter me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and slightly hopped up, until Bill lifted me and I placed my legs around his waist. I felt his rigid cock underneath my sex and I couldn't for it to get in me. Not for a moment did I stop from kissing him as he held me tightly by my ass.

I savagely bit his lower lip as I pulled away, and whispered headily into his mouth, "God, I missed you. I missed you so much. Please get inside me. Please, I need you. I need you so much."

"Sookie, sweetheart . . . "

"Please! Please get inside me," I begged to Eric in my haze, and Bill replied by claiming my lips and pressing me back to the wall.

"Our past _Friday night_ will pale in comparison to what I'm going to do to you sweetheart." He took my legs from around his waist and spread them, preparing to enter me in one swift movement.

"Oh, God. Yes! Yes! Stick it inside me," I cried desperately. I reached down to take hold of Bill's length and stroked it while I crashed my mouth on his with a noisy, sloppy sound.

A loud, crunching of gravel caught our attentions and Bill turned sideways to see who was behind us.

It was Eric!

With a tone of voice I had never heard him speak in before, and with his fangs fully down, Eric boomed, "Sookie, Compton, what the _fuck _are you two doing?"

Another crunch in the gravel revealed Pam behind Eric with her fangs down as well.

Bill let out a suffered moan and I gulped as I let go of Bill's length, trying to control my breathing, while dispelling the fog around my cluttered brain. The whole night had seemed like a dream to me and everything that had happened took a backseat to Eric—in the flesh—in front of me.

"Eric?" I managed to gasp out as I saw the object of my desire finally standing before me. I couldn't help smiling. I wanted to run into his arms and drown him in kisses. I wasn't sure how the bond worked, but if he was able to send me his feelings, maybe I could, too. Bill let me down and I shakily stood up. I mustered all the love and happiness within me and sent it Eric's way.

I thought it must have worked, because Eric took a step back, suddenly overwhelmed by some unforeseen force before him. I smiled and walked toward him, ready to rush into his arms, but his booming voice stopped me in my tracks.

"If you don't want to meet the true death where you stand, you will answer me! What the _fuck_ is going on here?" he thundered at us, his words making me flinch back in fear. I noticed Pam standing behind him flash me an utterly evil smile–something I'd never seen her do. She was truly enjoying the moment.

Before we could explain, a loud popping sound startled me and I jumped back, wondering which of my relatives had come to visit.

Claudine materialized before us with rollers in her hair, wearing pajamas, and with a toothbrush in her mouth. "Sookie, what the hell's going on? I got an alert that someone was going to kill you!" It only took a second for Claudine to notice Bill, his erection, my nakedness, and Eric menacingly walking over to us with Pam behind him.

"Oh, Cousin. You have to come with me." Claudine dropped her toothbrush and grabbed me, pulling me towards her. As Claudine touched me, she noticed I was quite sticky because of the vinegar. "What the hell have you been doing, Sookie?"

"No, Claudine. No!" I yelled to her as she yanked on me.

Eric's lip snarled up as he took a step towards me, and I looked at him with a stupid smile on my face, sending him all the yearning and lust I felt for him as Claudine pulled at me to follow her. My actions seemed to confuse him and Eric stood in place, unsure of what to do.

"Please, Claudine. I have to talk to Eric. I have to tell him something."

"I'm sorry, Cousin. My alert's going off the charts. I don't think Eric's in the talking mood right now," Claudine said, walking backwards with me in tow.

"No Claudine, No! Eric! Eric!"

•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
BILL's POV  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•

A loud popping sound signaled Claudine and Sookie were now gone and I was alone.

I dared to look over at Eric and caught his stare as he glared up at me. As if he was released from some enchantment, he finally willed himself to move. He bent down to pick up the discarded toothbrush on the floor.

His voice came out as cold as ice. "Compton, explain wh—"

A loud noise from the back exit interrupted him, and Sam emerged with a sharpened wooden stick in his hand. "You goddamn vampires! Get off my fucking property!"

It only took a second for both Eric and Pam to smell the scent coming off Sam, and I cursed myself for forgetting to wipe Sookie's scent off the shifter as well.

Eric's grip on the toothbrush hardened and he pulverized it, the dust creeping through his clenched fist. "Just what the _fuck_ is going on here?" he bellowed, his bloodlust overtaking him.

Before we could speak, we began to see red and blue lights in the distance coming towards us.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry guys couldn't resist the vinegar thing when I saw this website that had 400+ uses for vinegar www. vinegar book .net. So why not add one more: mask sex scents so vampires can't smell them. LOL ;)

Thank you all so much for your reviews!


	7. The Seeds of Dissent

**Disclaimer**: The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

**Pam's POV**

"Oh, Eric. I am so glad you called," Sookie panted into the phone.

"Well, my Lover, it is good to see I still leave you breathless."

_Oh please, stake me now!_ I rolled my eyes towards the ceiling and let out an exasperated sigh. _One thousand years old and these are the best lines he can come up with? No wonder he still can't get the part-fairy to heel yet._

"What's the matter, Lover, have you missed me that much?"

_Oh, just get a room! Really? And he didn't want people to start rumors he's acting like a human in love? Humph, that's all right. More ammunition to tease him with later. I better hope he never finds it's me who's really spreading all those rumors._

_CLICK._ The dial tone rang loudly in the room.

"What the fuck happened? Pam, is there something wrong with the phone lines? The line went dead."

"Maybe she hung up on you, Master," I told him rather innocently.

"Why the fuck would she hang up on me?"

_Really, his mood has gone from bad to worse. He really needs to find some way to release all the pent up energy, and I know the perfect outlet. Let me see it's blonde, with big tits, and not here. _"Well, with those cheesy lines you were feeding her, I wouldn't be surprised." I snickered.

"Just dial the number again."

I smiled as he gave me his shut-up-and-obey look. I quickly dialed the number and handed him the phone.

"Merlotte's, Terry here."

"Sookie Stackhouse," he said coldly into the receiver.

_Stackhouse? Hmm would Sookie Northman sound better? That's a good one; I'll use that some other time. He'll definitely lose it if I tease him with that. The eternal bachelor–just mentioning the word _wedding_ sets him off. Oh, this is just too easy. The possibilities are endless. Hmm . . . maybe it's time I finally shook the dust off my sapphire blue fabric and fashioned myself a wedding dress. Would he even remember the promise he made so long ago?_

"Yeah, she's here but Sam said she needs to get back to work and not talk on the phone."

I was driven from my thoughts as I heard the shifter's employee tell Eric he couldn't speak to Sookie. I raised my eyebrow. This was not something my Master was going to take well.

"Hang up the fucking phone, Terry. Tell Loverboy he can call Sookie on her personal time. Right now she's working _for me_."

The sound of the dial tone filled the room again.

"Why that fucking goddamn shifter!" The phone was no more as Eric crunched it to bits with his fist.

_Yup, just as I thought. Well, there goes that phone. Good thing I ordered ten more of the same kind. That was truly brave of the shifter to talk to Eric that way. Brave and stupid. He must have a death wish._

"Pam, accompany me."

_Wow, he was really fuming. I almost feel sorry for Sookie. Is she going to be able to walk tomorrow? Will the shifter? _"Oh, trouble in paradise, Master?" I just couldn't resist pouring salt in his wounds. _Maybe now he can go claim her and fuck her out of his system. Maybe then we can all go back to our normal lives and put all of this behind us._

Before I had time to react, Eric came up to me in his vampire speed and grabbed my arm, twisting it behind my back.

"Shut the fuck up! Not one more goddamn word out of you! If I so much as hear a peep out of you, I am going to stick a silver ball in your fucking mouth and make you swallow it! Am I understood?"

I nodded and submitted to him. _Boy, he had it bad. Surely, he wasn't thinking of turning her–was he? _I hid the worry from showing on my face and stayed quiet, ensuring that our road trip to Bon Temps was completely uneventful. Even I know when to shut up, and Eric's crazed driving certainly called for my silence. Just as we were within minutes of arriving to the shifter's hovel, Eric tensed, his fangs running down halfway.

"What's wrong?" I asked, worried something was happening to my Master.

"It's Sookie–she's in danger!" He stepped all the way down on the accelerator. Like a madman, he swerved wildly, driving maniacally down the streets.

I turned around so he wouldn't see me and rolled my eyes upwards. _What a bore. When wasn't Sookie in danger?_ I just hoped whatever she had gotten herself into this time didn't put Eric's life in danger. If it does, I'll have no choice but to speak up to my Master. I've really had enough of this stupid infatuation of his.

We came upon the road to the shifter's mediocre bar and noticed the sign read CLOSED. It was a Friday night and it was still early. Something was definitely wrong.

Bill would have a lot to explain. Eric's fangs came fully down as he turned the car into the road which lead to Merlotte's with a loud growl. Someone's head was going to roll tonight. I was so glad I came along for the ride. Finally, this was getting interesting.

The parking lot was empty except for Bill's car and Sookie's pathetic excuse for an automobile–if it could even be called that. This was certainly not good at all. Eric parked his Corvette right by the entrance, and we got down, noticing it was eerily quiet.

An overwhelming smell lingered in the air as we made our way into the bar's entrance. _Is that vinegar?_ There had definitely been a struggle here as the shifter's office doorframe was splintered, although it seemed like someone had tried to repair it. What the hell was happening here?

Eric opened the mental link we shared as Master and child and used his mindspeak on me. _I think I hear something out back._

Deathly quiet, we made our way towards the noise. I startled him as I reached out for his hand. "Here, let me have those." I took his car keys, lest some ill fate befall them and we'd be stranded out here in this wasteland. He reluctantly gave me the keys and gave me the you-can-hold-the-keys-but-not-drive-my-car look as we continued to make our way toward the back.

He used his mindspeak again. _I'm going to take a look from above._

I nodded to him as he flew away. _What a showoff_. He always had to rub it in that he could fly. I shook my head and walked on. The strong smell was assailing my nose again. _Vinegar? What the hell could they possibly be doing with that?_

Up ahead, I heard the gravel crunch and I knew "Superman" had landed. In my vampire speed, I went to my Master's location and walked up behind him.

Nothing could have ever prepared me for what my eyes were seeing. Both Sookie and Bill were standing by the Dumpster in the back—naked. Sookie looked downright ethereal in the moonlight. Something on her skin was making it glow and glisten. She certainly was beautiful, but nothing my Master hadn't seen before.

She had her back to us and it certainly was a spectacular view we were rewarded with. She was slightly turned and we could only see the profile of her right breast. Her right hand was pulling around Bill as she kissed him, her left hand was . . .oh shit! Her left hand was pulling on Compton's dick, giving him one heck of a hand job. She was stroking all of him.

"Sookie, Compton, what the _fuck_ are you two doing?" Eric yelled, while in his mind he cursed at them in his native tongue.

Eric's voice was my signal to get closer so Sookie and Bill could see me. Yes, this was going to be very interesting. I guess I could scratch out that Sookie Northman taunt. There was no way he would take her back after this. I wanted to jump for joy as this obsession of his had finally come to an end.

Even more amazing and jumpworthy was that Eric used _the voice_. It had been a long time since he had used this tone. He used it only when his inner demons became unleashed and he shed the last remnants of his former humanity. My skin began to tingle and I started feeling my panties moisten as I beheld the true bloodthirsty, animalistic vampire before me.

"If you don't want to meet the true death where you stand, you will answer me! What the _fuck_ is going on here?" he thundered at them.

I gave myself a mental high five for taking the keys away from Eric. Who knows what he would have done with them if I had let him keep them? I smiled devilishly as I realized I was going to need a funeral dress instead of a wedding one.

A popping sound filled the night air.

If I didn't value my life, I would have definitely started laughing at the sight of Claudine in her PJ's with rollers in her hair, and brushing her teeth. _How delicious!_ The fairy godmother sensed that Sookie's life was in danger.

_Well, that does it. Black funeral dress, definitely. What a shame. I could have had the most beautiful sapphire dress made with a matching hat, shoes, gloves, and a pocketbook just perfect for a spring wedding. Tsk. Tsk._

I breathed in deeply, hoping to catch the wonderful scent of fairy, but the scent was not there. That was truly odd. The overwhelming vinegar smell was somehow blocking the fairy scent, which should have been hitting us by now. I would have to remember that important bit of information for future use, although by the looks of it, Compton was already in on the secret use of vinegar. It was also apparent he was trying to mask some sort of scent on Sookie. Just what was Compton trying to cover up and in the shifter's office as well?

I used the mindspeak and related the vinegar thoughts to my Master.

_I was just thinking the same thing_, he answered back. Upon opening our link, I read his thoughts. They were a swirling mess of confusion.

Claudine pulled Sookie away and indicated she was going to take her. _Yeah right, good luck with that! There is no way Eric is going to let Sookie get away. Maybe in a body bag after he was done with her, but alive? Not happening._

"No, Claudine. No!" Sookie yelled as Eric took a step towards her. I sensed he wanted to rip Sookie apart with his bare hands, but something stopped him from further advancing on her. _What's he waiting for?_

"No Claudine, No! Eric! Eric!" Sookie yelled.

The fairy popped away along with Sookie right before our eyes.

_What? She actually wanted to stay? Maybe she really was crazy. But how is that possible? She actually got to leave? What was wrong with my Master?_

Perhaps it was the way her succulent breasts bounced up and down, sideways, and all around as she was screaming his name which hypnotized him, because he actually left her alive. He could have killed her in an instant, even before the fairy could take her, but he let her go.

_Yes!_ The sapphire dress was still in play. Perhaps he would remember his promise after all.

Eric glared at Bill who now had his full attention. He asked for an explanation as he picked up the discarded toothbrush. Oh, I wondered what devilish ways my Master was thinking of using that toothbrush on Compton. Oh, this was getting too good.

The loud noise coming from behind Compton momentarily averted our attentions. It was that stupid shifter. I rolled my eyes upwards in disgust. _Ughh . . . shifters truly are the most stupidest beings_. The shifter started screaming at us to leave his property. Did he know who he was talking to? Well my Master would surely remind him.

My nose began to tickle as a new scent assaulted it. Since Sookie had left, the vinegar smell had become a little less prominent, and another scent was coming off the shifter. _What the hell? No, it couldn't be! Sookie's scent?_

Apparently, my Master smelled it, too, and pulverized the toothbrush in his hand as his bloodlust took over his mind. _Goodbye toothbrush_. I guess we were doing this with our bare hands. Good thing I enjoyed the personal touch.

"Just what the _fuck_ is going on here?" His booming voice brought me back to the matter at hand.

Black funeral dress. No doubt about it.

* * *

**A/N**: I absolutely loved writing this chapter. I haven't smiled/laughed so much in a while. Hope you enjoyed it, too.

Review Review! I want to thank those of you who review because you all have given me some awesome ideas. Power to the People! Especially thanks to Layne2 who reminded me that Sam can shift into something other than a dog. Hmm . . . what should I make Sam shift into? The next chapter is going to be interesting.

**A/N 2**: I really got a kick seeing AB took the same direction I did in my story in True Blood with how Pam feels about Sookie. LOL :)


	8. Torturous Deceit

**Disclaimer**: The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

**SOOKIE POV**

"Claudine! You return me back this instant!"

"Calm down, Cousin. Not yet. Here, take this and scrub that off yourself." She handed me a label-free plastic container that looked like a shower gel, and a loofah.

I looked around and realized we were in her front yard. "What the hell are we doing out here, Claudine?"

"Oh, don't worry. No one's looking. Everyone's asleep by now. Okay, brace yourself; I'm going to spray you with the garden hose. Watch out! The water's going to be cold. "

"Just what the hell are you doing? Take me back to Eric! I have to talk to him."

"Well that's some gratitude for ya. I'll take you back as soon as you scrape that horrible stuff off, Cousin."

"Okay, then why don't you show me to your shower?"

"Yeah, that's really smart. Why don't we go inside my house so you can come out smelling like a fairy when I take you back? You want to be torn to shreds by a sex-crazed vampire?"

"Why the hell did you even bring me here? You said my life was in danger. And now, very calmly you want to take me back? Out with it, Claudine."

"Well, when I popped by, you _were_ in danger, but now it seems the danger has subsided."

_Could it be that Eric had calmed down?_ "Then hurry up and turn it on. Um . . . but I also need to use the bathroom."

"Number one or number two?"

"One," I whispered.

"Well, you're standing in the bathroom, Cousin."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Sorry, that's all I can do."

"Well can you at least turn around?"

"Sure thing."

_Sweet Shepherd, how disgusting. _I took a deep breath._ Well, when in Rome . . ._

"You done yet?"

I didn't even have a chance to answer before Claudine turned on the hose and splashed me down. I was not prepared for the cold sensation that came over my body as she sprayed the freezing water over me.

"Go on; wash up."

I bit my tongue and tried to make my numb fingers function. I lathered the soap gel on the loofah and went to town.

"Don't forget to put some of that in your hair. Sookie, how the hell could you listen to Bill and commit such a stupid act?"

"I-I-I don't know C-C-Claudine," I stammered, trying to dispel the freezing temperatures from my body.

"Oh, sorry." Claudine waved her hand over the hose, said something in a strange language, and the water started to warm up.

"Thanks," I said after I'd thawed out a bit. "Look, Claudine, I don't know why I did that, but I felt Eric so close and I just couldn't stop myself from touching Bill."

"No, not that! I mean how could you let him convince you to put vinegar in your hair?"

"Oh, Claudine! Not now, please!" _Think Stackhouse._ _A change of subject would really come in handy right now_. "By the way, what's this gel I'm putting on? It smells really good."

"Oh, it's just something I picked up randomly at Bath & Body Works." Claudine looked a bit nervous as I scrubbed down my forearms.

"Really? Then how come it's in a clear bottle with no label?"

"It must have fallen off."

"Oh, okay." _That's total BS. I just hope this isn't dog shampoo._ "By the way, have you talked to Niall? He called me, but I missed his call. Do you by any chance know what he wanted?"

"He'll be by to see you later tonight and you'll find out then. Now are you going to hurry up, or are you going to stay here all night chatting it up?"

I sighed, continuing my task. I prayed the cops wouldn't show up and arrest me for indecent exposure. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, I got off all the gunk out of my skin and hair. I relaxed and said to Claudine, "Okay shut it off. I'm done. Let's go back."

"Finally."

"Just give me something to throw on. Oh Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"What is it?" I was scaring Claudine as I started to cry.

"Oh, Claudine! Bill burned my work clothes along with my apron!"

"Sookie, it was just some ratty, old apron. You can get another one."

"No, you don't understand. All my tips were there! This whole night occurred because of those tips. Had I just stayed at home, none of this would have happened." I let out a loud sob.

"Stop that!" Claudine waved her hands and I stopped crying. "There's no use crying over burnt money. What are you going to do?"

"Nothing, what can I do? How am I going to pay my bills now?" My lower lip trembled and Claudine raised her hands again. "No, I'm sorry, forget it. Okay, I'm done." I didn't know what she was zapping me with and the last thing I needed was to wake up with three nipples tomorrow. "Just send me back to Eric, please."

"You really think I am letting you go see your beloved with that wet hair and tear-stained face, Cousin?"

"My what? What are you talking about, Claudine?"

"Please accept my gift. I call it, instant _Greek goddess Hair_."

A cloud of dust formed around my head and I coughed as the smoke cleared around me. I strained my neck until I was able to look at my hair through the reflection of one of Claudine's windows. My hair had been instantly transformed into a beautiful loose hairstyle with curls and tresses that really made me look like a Grecian goddess.

"Thank you, Claudine, this is wonderful! How did you do that? Can you get me some clothes, too?"

"No can do, Cousin. All my clothes have my scent on them and I intend to make sure you live to see tomorrow."

"What! You can't be serious! You're going to send me back naked? Can't you pop me to a Wal-Mart or something?"

"No time, Cousin. But I can give you these shoes." She handed me a beautiful pair of satin-white open-toe high-heeled shoes. Good thing I had taken the time this morning to paint both my fingernails and toe nails in Desire Red. Both the shoes and my nails shone beautifully in the moonlight. Before I could even ask any questions or say another word, Claudine spoke.

"Put them on quickly. If we leave right now we'll just make it back in time. You ready now?"

"Back in time for what?" I asked as I put the shoes on. "Wait. I have to ask you something. Wait! I'm not re . . . ad . . . y!" I staggered forward as a loud popping noise thrummed around me. I looked around and recognized Merlotte's employee lounge. "Claudine!" I yelled, catching my naked reflection on the stainless steel refrigerator. _Well at least my hair, face, and heels look good_.

"Knock 'em dead, Cousin," I heard Claudine's voice say from a faraway place. "Oops! I guess they already are!"

"Ha ha. Very funny Claudine." Something outside caught my attention and I carefully walked to peek outside a window. _That's strange. Where the hell is that red and blue light outside coming from? Is it an ambulance or the police?_

_Well, first things first._ Before I went to go investigate I had to put some clothes on. I walked to the storage room and panicked after I realized Bill and I had taken all of the promotional merchandise Sam bought outside. I searched frantically though the room looking for uniforms or for anything I could use to cover myself with.

"Oh, thank God!" I gasped. I found one lonely, bright-red apron. It was a wonder Sam still had it, since we'd gotten rid of them long ago. No one liked them because the pockets weren't very deep and you couldn't carry too much in them.

The only bad thing was they weren't full-sized aprons like the ones we used. They tied around the waist and looked like the equivalent of a very short miniskirt. The apron was a welcome sight, but it only solved one of my problems since it would cover my front area, but would leave my backside and top exposed. "Please let me find another one!" I pleaded, desperately searching for anything I could find.

"Yes!" I cried, finding a box with some dirty rags Terry used to clean the bar. "Eww!" I pushed the box back as the rags smelled like cat piss. I remembered I carried a towel in my car and walked back to the employee lounge to get my purse and car keys.

_Shit!_ My purse was gone. _Who the hell took it? _That seemed to be a problem I had to solve later._  
_

Well decision time Stackhouse: should I cover my breasts or my privates? After a quick deliberation, I chose my privates since I reasoned all men had pretty much seen their share of breasts. _Right? My stars, how am I ever going to survive this night?_ I tied the apron around my waist.

To solve the problem of my exposed chest, though, I crossed my arms in front of my breasts so that would just leave my backside exposed. Well, two out of three wasn't bad odds. _Oh, Sweet Shepherd of Judea, give me the strength to walk out that door and search for Eric looking like this!_

I slowly took one step, then another, until I finally made it outside. My heart almost beat out of my chest. I walked out the front entrance of Merlotte's, past Eric's Corvette and to the back where I heard screams and saw flashing red and blue lights.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
PAM's POV  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•

With my vampire sight, I could see red and blue lights, no doubt from a police car, shine in the distance. At the speed they were traveling, by the time they drove up here, our business would be complete.

"Just what the fuck is going on here?" Eric bellowed at both the shifter and Compton. "If either one of you does not answer me, I will rip out your fucking throats this instant."

"We don't have to tell you jack shit, Northman! Now for the last time, get the fuck off my property, and take your damn lackeys with you."

"Wrong answer, shifter!" In his vampire speed, Eric ran past Bill, knocking him down. He ran up to the shifter, lifting him up in the air by his throat.

Sam gasped for breath.

"Before I kill you, _shifter_, you _will _answer me. Why do you have my bonded's scent all over your filthy carcass?" Eric squeezed Sam's throat tighter. Bill was still lying on the floor, his fangs had retracted and he was no longer erect.

The shifter struggled to speak. "I . . . .ain't . . . telling . . . you . . . shit—"

"Pamela!"

"Yes, Master," I replied.

"Glamour him and get the truth out of him. Don't move, I'll bring him to you." Eric threw the shifter high in the air toward me. He landed and we all heard a loud crack coming from his leg.

_Guess he's not walking tomorrow_, I concluded.

"All right, shifter. That's one bone down," my Master said menacingly.

The shifter was trying to hold back his screams of pain as I began to glamour him to get the information out of him as quickly as possible so the real fun could begin.

My Master then walked over to Bill. "Ah, now you have my undivided attention, Compton. Do you know how long I have been waiting for this moment? Finally, the perfect opportunity to rid myself of you is here."

Compton stood up. "Y-y-you can't be serious, Eric. You can't sentence me to the true death. Over what, huh? What the hell is my offense?"

Compton definitely wanted to die fighting. I loved it when a dead man walking put up a fight.

"Your offense?" Eric asked.

I could tell my Master couldn't even bring himself to repeat what we had caught Bill and Sookie doing.

"Your offense Compton, is that you are here in front of me and in some fashion still alive. But that is something I will remedy shortly." Eric began taking off his clothes as he eyed Bill threateningly.

"What the hell are you doing, Eric? Are you gonna fight me or are you gonna fuck me? I'm not one of the fangbanger whores from your club! Oh, don't act like you don't know who I'm talking about. You know, the ones you always fuck even though you're bonded to Sookie?"

Compton just didn't know when to shut up.

"I fuck whomever I well damn please, and I answer to no one! I especially do not answer to some pathetic, third rate soldier from the Civil War whose only talent is mediocrity. You are so worthless I refuse to stain my clothes with your weak blood when I splatter it."

"Well, this worthless loser just had your _bonded_ begging me to fuck her. She was dripping for me, Eric! Does she ever do that for you? Oh, that's right. You can't remember. Who's pathetic now?"

"You fucking—" Eric didn't even let him continue and lunged at him, his hands going for his neck.

_Finally some action!_ In my opinion, they were talking too much.

Bill blocked Eric's grip and they both moved at vampiric speed matching blow for blow as they struck each other. It seemed my Master wanted a fight since he could have easily killed Compton in a matter of seconds. For several minutes, fist was met by fist, and kick was met by kick until Eric circled Bill's neck in a headlock.

"You are sadly mistaken, Compton! I remember everything! I fucked her in every room of her house, her shower, kitchen–every fucking place she could sit or stand in, so she'd always think of _me!_" Eric squeezed Bill's neck tighter.

"The only reason . . . she fucked you is . . . because I was out of town . . . and . . . she missed sucking my dick!" Bill spun around and dislodged from Eric's grip.

Eric laughed. "And who do you think sent you out of town so I could fuck her in every room of her house?"

Compton growled at Eric's statement, readying himself to lunge at my Master once more.

Eric became momentarily distracted, as if he had become aware of something or someone and Compton took advantage of the situation. He hit Eric in the chest, sending him flying back and knocking him back against the Dumpster.

Eric laid on the floor and Bill continued his verbal barrage on my Master.

"Well how unoriginal, Eric! In her house? Was that the only place she let you fuck her? What's the matter, was she ashamed people would see her with you?"

"Shut up, you worthless fuck!"

"Didn't she tell you how I fucked her in the cemetery? No? Didn't she tell you how I ripped her clothes off and fucked her in the dirt like a common whore and she loved it?"

"I am going to rip your fucking heart out. . . " Eric stood up and started circling around Bill. Both men sized each other up as they moved.

"Come on, Eric. You want to have a reason to rid yourself of me. I'll give it to you. Did she ever tell you how I fucked her on a Friday night at her doorstep?"

Eric slightly raised his eyebrow.

"I knew you would listen to the message I left her. Did she tell you what I did to her?"

Eric circled Bill, waiting for him to reveal what the message he had overheard on the night he accompanied Sookie to the orgy all those years ago really meant.

"She couldn't even wait to get inside the house. She spread her legs for me right there on her front steps, and I took her over and over that night. I took all of her."

"You lie!" Eric seethed in anger.

"Why do you think she resisted you for so long, Eric? Why do you think I'm still alive and in her life? She's mine, Eric. She'll always be mine!"

"Enough!" Eric roared as he lunged at Bill and punched him the chest and stomach repeatedly until blood started coming out of his mouth. In one swift movement, Eric bent down and broke both of Bill's legs.

"She's mine. . ."

"You filthy liar!" Eric picked up Compton by the throat and then slammed him down again with a hit to his stomach.

I smiled. There was no way Compton was getting up after that.

My Master turned to look at me with a murderous glint in his eye. I could tell he was going to let me have some fun.

"Pamela. What have you gotten from the shifter?"

"Master, he says Sookie came on to him. She told him she'd been having strange visions of you all day, and when they were together, she called out your name."

"What? You're not making sense! Did he penetrate Sookie with or without her consent? That is all I require to know, Pamela."

"There was only digital penetration on his part Master. These two fingers to be exact, and Sookie also stroked him with her hands. Nothing more. Only she got to the finish line, though. It seems the two lovebirds were interrupted before they could go any further." I linked with my Master via our mindlink. _According to the shifter, he says Sookie called your name when she came_.

Eric nodded and his thoughts spilled over to me.

_That was what I felt when I was feeding. Her calling out to me, her climax, and then the ensuing guilt._ He quickly closed his thoughts and I pretended not to have heard anything. "So she came onto him?"

"The shifter says Sookie told him she had been seeing images of you in her head all day, which were making her do things beyond her control."

Another fragmented thought escaped his mindspeak. _Shit, my messages._

Again, I pretended not to take notice.

A weak smile crawled on his lips, and I felt a sense of relief wash over his tensed shoulders. A sensation of bliss eluded the control of his mindspeak. _She wanted me. She touched them because she thought they were me._

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. _What was he so happy about? Don't tell me he's thinking of taking her back?_ I couldn't believe he was using the shifter's words as an excuse to forgive Sookie for what she had done. _Has he gone mad?_

"Fingers, Pamela?"

"Yes, two of them."

"Which two fingers?"

"These two, Master." I held them up.

"Where, Pamela? I don't see any fingers there."

_Right-o_. _Maybe he hasn't lost his senses and has something up his sleeve. _I knew my master only did something if it served his purpose. He'd have to be blind and in love with Sookie to truly forgive this indiscretion. And Eric Northman in love? I fought the urge to laugh out loud.

"Take him out of the glamour. I want him to feel the pain," Eric said as his bloodlust called for the shifter's fingers on a platter.

I smiled like a Cheshire cat. My Master was so devious! "Yes, my Master." I obeyed heartily and the shifter screamed when I bent back his fingers and broke them. I silenced him by threatening to take his tongue as well. I then ripped the useless digits off his hand, and tossed them to the ground as his hand began to bleed.

"Stop the bleeding, Pamela. I'm not done with him yet," Eric ordered.

As I was finishing taking care of the shifter, Bill started stirring back to consciousness.

Eric was upon him instantly, landing more blows and punches until Bill splattered more blood from his mouth and lost awareness again. This time, Eric broke his ankles. But Eric wasn't done yet. He got the half-used gallon of vinegar and poured it on Bill's face to wake him up. Sputtering the vinegar out of his mouth, Bill weakly opened his eyes.

"Pamela. It seems our beloved associate, Mr. Compton, enjoys it when women stroke and pull on his dick. Did you gather the same impression, my child?" Eric's voice was utterly sinister.

"Why, as a matter of fact I did, my Master. Well, I am a woman. Should I stroke and pull on his dick as well?"

"Why don't we ask him, Pamela? Bill, what do you say? Would you like to make Pamela drip for you as well?"

"No! No! Stay away from me, you crazy bitch! No!" Bill tried to move, but since he had lost a lot of blood, he was having trouble healing his broken bones.

"Bill, Bill! But I thought you enjoyed making women beg for you." Eric laughed balefully.

"No, you crazy fuck!" Bill then turned to Eric. "It's eating you inside isn't it?" Bill sputtered some blood from his mouth. "That after all this time, she still wants me . . . that she hasn't forgotten me . . . "

"You could not be further from the truth, you pathetic fool." Eric furrowed his brow. Through the mindspeak, he spoke to me. _Rip it off him._

"It will be my pleasure, Master!"

"This is just one of the things I have planned for you, Compton. I am going to take my time with you, and I am not going to stop until you realize, once and for all, that Sookie belongs to me and _only _me." Eric struck his chest as he spoke the last words.

I rolled my eyes upwards, wondering if he was going to haul Sookie to his cave afterward by her hair. I know the man was a barbarian, but this was just too much.

Eric then broke both of Compton's arms when Bill dared to spit the blood, which had collected in his mouth, toward him and I took my time making my way over to the broken, trembling vampire as my Master broke him into more pieces.

Sam had been lying on the ground, holding his bleeding hand. Thinking we were too preoccupied to notice him, he started taking his shirt off so he could transform.

My spirits were immediately lifted. A lion's head would look absolutely lovely over the décor at Fangtasia. I was really hoping he would transform into that, but alas no. He transformed into a grizzly bear instead.

Through the mindspeak Eric communicated,_ Deal with Compton_. _I will deal with the shifter. Do not fail me, my child_.

I responded with a nod. I would give my life to ensure I would never fail him.

"Are you sure you want to do this, shifter?" Eric asked, talking to Sam as if he were a child.

Sam replied with a roar and charged at Eric with all his might.

The battle between my Master and the shifter was formidable, as I caught brief glimpses of it while I set about my task with Compton. The shifter put up a better fight than Compton as he scratched, bit, and even at one point, kicked dirt in Eric's eyes.

The shifter also made a deep gouge across Eric's chest as he scratched my Master with his claws. Again, Eric fought a fair fight, never utilizing his vampire speed nor did he attempt to overpower him, even though he could have easily done so.

My Master jumped and got behind the bear, locking his head in a headlock. Just as I prepared myself to collect the shifter's head, the police car finally came upon us, but we were too far gone in the bloodlust to pay it any attention.

I was halfway done with my task, and Bill was screaming so loud. _What a girl!_ The shifter meanwhile was roaring in pain from Eric's headlock, so we barely heard or noticed when the local law got on his car's loudspeaker.

"This is Detective Andy Bellefleur from the Bon Temps Sheriff's Department! All right folks; let's disperse this fight! Sir! Sir! I am going to have to ask you to _let go of the bear_! Sir, please!" he pleaded and put his loudspeaker down. "Oh, hell! They don't pay me enough money to do this shit. Why do you think I took my time getting here? I thought that by now these assholes would be done, but nooooo."

We paid no heed to him and my Master and I continued our _work_. Eric still held on tightly to the shifter who by now had stopped roaring.

"This form is perfect, Shifter! I am going to keep you transformed so I can skin you alive and make you into my personal rug. And then every night I am going to fuck Sookie right on your worthless hide! I'll make her hold onto your eyes as I ram my cock into her tight pussy!"

I laughed at my Master's comments, knowing he issued no idle threats. I continued my work and was thankful Bill had finally stopped screaming as he had lost consciousness while I continued to slowly rip his dick off. With the sudden silence, I was able to hear a crunch in the gravel behind us, and I quickly turned to see who had joined our little party.

Though the mindspeak Eric called out to me, _Pam, turn Compton over. Sookie must not see_.

I swiftly gave Bill a kick and made him lie on his stomach. I scowled as Sookie's timing couldn't have been worse. I just needed one more good tug. _Damn_.

Andy continued talking on his loudspeaker even though none of us paid him any attention. "Sookie, what the hell are you doing here? Put on some clothes for God's sake! And step back! You are interfering in official police business!"

Sookie looked like a vision before us. Her hair was down and loose in the most exquisite curls. She looked just like a goddess. Her delectable breasts were cupped in her hands and she was wearing a red apron, which barely covered her mound and rode low on her enticing hips.

I found it odd that she was naked except for the apron and some open-toe high-heeled shoes, which were totally last season. _Where did she buy those clearance shoes at?_ Oh and her smell . . . it was heavenly. It was rich, pure, and most of all soothing.

Sookie stood there before us surveying the scene in front of her, and she had tears in her eyes. I sighed. That surely wasn't new. I was about to look away with a smug look on my face when I sensed a feeling of remorse flooding through my Master's frame.

_What? How could he feel remorse?_ I opened my mouth in shock, struggling to comprehend what Sookie could be doing to my Master to make him feel that way. _Could she be manipulating him with witchcraft?_

My thoughts were interrupted as the shifter finally passed out from having his head locked so long in Eric's arms, and Eric proceeded to toss him aside carelessly. As he fell to the floor, the shifter transformed back and started to bleed again from his two missing fingers.

My Master stood in front of Sookie, his naked body's only sign he had been fighting was the dried bloodstains on him. I expected to see him stand defiantly up to her, but I supposed he had not anticipated seeing her naked before him so soon, so his pose only registered his surprise.

Sookie's gaze made its way towards me and thankfully, I had on my black leather attire from the club. Bill's and Sam's bloodstains were easily hidden.

She looked over at Sam on the ground, then looked up at Eric. She then looked at me and at Bill. I fought the urge to lick my lips and tell her hello.

"Eric, I heard you. I heard what you told Sam. How could you say that? What are you doing?"

"Sookie. . . ." Eric took a step towards her.

"Stay back, Eric!" She placed her hands in front of her with her palms up, making a stopping motion, fully exposing her breasts. "Bill was right! You _are_ a monster!"

She turned around, giving us the view of her perfect backside, her breasts riding up and down as she ran toward the front entrance of the shifter's bar.

Finally, Eric would set her straight and make her pay for her betrayal. I couldn't wait to see what punishment he exacted on her.

* * *

**A/N**: Well there you have it. Finally the fight scene! Thank you so much to all of you have been so kind as to leave a review. They really make my day and inspire me to keep on writing! Keep 'em coming! Even if you have already reviewed before, it's okay! You can leave another one! Hope you enjoyed it!


	9. The Enticing Red Apron

**Disclaimer**: The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

**A/N:** While I love delving into character POVs, it's time to find out what everyone's thinking. Enjoy!

* * *

"This form is perfect, Shifter! I am going to keep you transformed so I can skin you alive and make you into my personal rug. And then every night I am going to fuck Sookie right on your worthless hide! I'll make her hold onto your eyes as I ram my cock into her tight pussy!"

Even though Sookie clearly heard what Eric said, she was in disbelief. Her stomach was in a knot and a wave of nausea struck her. She gasped as the bear in Eric's grasp called out to her in her mind, _Run, Sookie! Run!_

_Oh my God! It's Sam!_ Sookie was so distraught at what she was seeing, she didn't even register Andy's voice over the loudspeaker telling her to put on some clothes. She had never seen Eric act this way before, and she finally understood why Bill had been so petrified of him.

_Was this the true Eric Bill said I'd see one day? _Her heart ached as she saw how Eric had severely injured Sam, and based on the sly look Pam was giving off, she was sure Bill wasn't doing so great, either.

_How could this even be happening_? _Eric's never acted like this before. He's always been so caring, loving, and above all, so good to me. How could it be that I never saw this side of him?_ _Could it be that he's just different with me? Is that a good thing, or does it make him more of a liar?_ A shiver coursed through her body as Eric locked eyes with her and she wondered what was going through his head.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•

There had been very few moments in Eric's long life which had made him pause and reflect on what he was doing, but this was definitely one of them. He couldn't savor how beautiful his bonded looked in the moonlight upon feeling his blood freeze as Sookie's look registered disgust and terror.

Sookie's resentment and distress barrelled their way to him through the bond they shared. He suddenly felt filthy and unclean, not just physically, but in what little remained of his soul. Seeing the disappointment and hurt in her eyes at his actions rendered him weak, and he let the unconscious shifter slip through his hands to fall on the ground.

He wanted to run to her side and tell her she was the most beguiling creature his eyes had ever encountered in all of his existence, and would gladly throw himself at her mercy for causing her any pain. If only she would stop looking at him like that.

He wanted to tell her so many things at that moment, but somehow he was not able to move or speak. Thankfully, she broke the silence between them.

"Eric, I heard you. I heard what you told Sam. How could you say that? What are you doing?"

"Sookie . . . " Eric took a step towards her, his eyes desperately searching hers for a chance to speak.

"Stay back, Eric!" She placed her hands in front of her with her palms up, making a stopping motion, fully exposing her breasts. "Bill was right! You _are_ a monster!"

Sookie's thoughts were in a confused swirl. She realized she couldn't think straight around Eric–especially not Naked Eric. So, she did what she always did when she was scared or upset: she walked away.

When she turned away from him, Eric remained frozen in place as her words struck him like a silver dagger and he was unsure of how to respond to her. But not all was lost, as he sensed her turmoil and uncertainty through the bond quickly turn to anger while she walked away.

This new development relaxed him. He could deal with anger, after all, he had over a thousand years of experience calming down an angry woman. Sensing everything would be all right, he finally concentrated on the most important matter at hand.

Eric let out an unnecessary breath as he reveled in the enticing sight that was Sookie's backside, and thanked the gods for ensuring that heels and gravel didn't mix, allowing him to contemplate the glorious sight a bit longer. As she slowly inched away, Eric fought to regain a clear head and began formulating his game plan.

He called over to his child with his mindspeak. _Pam, you are going to have to heal these two worthless fucks. She will never give into me if she thinks I was doing more than just giving them a good scare._

_Of course Master_, Pam responded_. But I only have so much blood_.

_I keep an extra supply of human blood in the trunk of the Corvette in case of emergencies. Use that blood on Compton. You will use your own on the shifter. While I distract Sookie, you will go around the building and take the blood out of the trunk. Do not fail me child._

_Never, Master. Do you also wish for me to replace the shifter's two fingers?_

Eric paused. _Unfortunately, we must._

_Can I put them on backwards?_

Eric turned back to look at his child and gave her a mischievous smile. _I wish we could. Now off to work. To the victor goes the spoils and it is high time I claimed my prize._

_Yes, Master._

Eric closed off their mindspeak link and Pam set to her work. She wondered what her master was doing. _Maybe I should get myself a red apron like that. It's evident I could get away with murder dressed in it. I can't believe he's going to her. He must have some sort of plan for her that I am unaware of, to be so sensitive to her feelings after the offense she's committed._

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

Before he could embark on his mission, Eric needed to clean his body of the filth of his enemies' blood. He looked around and saw a large pail of clean water next to where the Dumpster had been. He quickly lifted it over his head, successfully washing off all the blood, dirt and grime which was on him. In his vampire speed, he ran in a circle and quickly air-dried himself, leaving only his hair mildly wet. With no time to lose, he dressed just as quickly as well.

Andy Bellefleur was staring in awe at what he was seeing. With his mouth hanging open, he desperately searched his mind for a trace of knowledge he had acquired in his police training which would tell him how to proceed.

Eric, finally noticing him, briefly opened the mindlink and issued one last order to Pam. _Glamour the cop_.

Pam's only reply was a nod.

Confident his child would take care of everything, he sped off after Sookie, who by now had almost reached his Corvette. He paused for a moment. _By the gods, every angle of hers is exquisite_. He licked his fangs as he contemplated how she had tied the apron strings in a bow around her waist, while the strings rested seductively in the middle of her lower back, ending decoratively on either side of her luscious ass. _How appropriate. She truly is a prize!_

Sookie walked with her arms crossed in front of her chest, trying to maintain her balance on the troublesome gravel. She raised her hands as she wobbled on the gravel, almost losing her step. "Shit!"

Knowing his bonded would respond better if he seemed calm, he willed his fangs in before he spoke to her. "Sookie," Eric called out to her in the softest tone he could muster.

"Leave me alone, Eric! I don't want to talk to you. I don't _ever_ want to talk to you!" Sookie's tears blurred her vision. While she wiped her eye, she gave a wrong step and her right ankle gave way.

Eric quickly got in front of her and caught her before she fell. "Here, let me carry you." He scooped her up and placed one of his hands on her bared back, the other on her ass. Unable to resist the temptation, he squeezed her rear cheek as he held her.

"How dare you! Put me down this instant, Eric Northman!" Sookie tried to wiggle free, but she only ended up grazing her breasts on his broad chest, eliciting a moan from him as he felt her through the thin shirt underneath his opened black leather jacket.

"Sookie, do not walk away from me. Talk to me. What you saw it not as it seemed."

"Oh, and what the hell did I see, Eric? Didn't I see you hurt both Sam and Bill for something they didn't even do?"

"I did no . . . _permanent_ damage to them, my Lover."

"No permanent damage? Do you think I'm stupid or blind? You tore off two of Sam's fingers, and God knows what you did to Bill."

"_I_ did no such thing. Go look for yourself and see. The Shifter is fine back there, only a bit shaken up."

"Go to hell, Eric! I'm going home and I don't ever want to hear from you again! Set me down this instant!" She put her hands on his neck and attempted to push him off her.

Eric gave Sookie a look that sent chills down her spine. She trembled, knowing she was trapped in Eric's grip.

"Why do you shake, my Lover? Are you afraid of me?"

"Yes, I am Eric. I never thought you could act this way. What you think Bill and Sam did to me isn't true. They didn't do anything, Eric. _I did!_ I threw myself on them. Do you hear me? It was me!" Her fear gave way to anger and she pounded on his chest.

Eric looked into her eyes, but remained quiet.

"So now that you know the truth, what are you going to do to me, huh? Are you gonna rip off my hand?" she asked, continuing to pound on his chest. "Answer me! What are you going to do?" she screamed.

Eric remained still, then pulled her close to him. She shut her eyes, bracing herself for an impact, believing Eric was going to strike or bite her. However, Eric pulled her close and kissed her gently on her lips. Stunned at his actions, Sookie pushed him back. Her body immediately responded to his kiss and she cursed herself for being so affected by Eric.

Sensing her arousal, Eric tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her even closer to him. This time his kiss was more demanding, more passionate, as his mouth claimed hers savagely, despite her protests. The more she tried to push him back, the closer he pulled her to him.

Sookie moaned. "Eric . . . " Surrendering, she snaked her hands around his head and grasped his hair in her hands, responding heatedly to his kiss. She even allowed his tongue entry into her mouth.

Eric's fangs ran down as she pulled his face closer to hers. She laced his fangs with her tongue and Eric let out a small moan.

She slightly bit on his lower lip, drawing a drop of his blood. "Oh, Eric . . . " she moaned into his mouth. "Put me down, please," she said in a sultry voice.

He complied, and as he bent down to continue to kiss her, Sookie turned and walked away. Eric adjusted his pants. _What a tease!_

This time, Sookie moved at a faster pace, but there was no danger of her discovering Pam, as his child had already gotten the emergency blood from the car. The kiss he gave Sookie truly worked as a distraction he enjoyed. He smiled as Pam was almost done healing those who had dared touch what was his. Everything was going according to his plans.

He let her walk away as he was in no hurry, and he was thoroughly enjoying the view she was presenting. She stopped in front of the Corvette, breathed in and held her breath, and turned her apron around so it was now covering her backside. She turned around to him and he could see the red bow was now above her mound with the two red apron strings running down between her legs. His dick twitched at the sensual imagery before him.

With her hands, she pressed the apron on her butt and sat down on the hood of Eric's Corvette.

"I don't know what happened to my purse or my car keys, so I can't get in my car and just leave you here like you deserve." She pointed to her body and said, "And since this isn't anything you haven't seen before, then we can talk."

"I like how you think, Lover. Ask me anything."

"I want some answers, Eric. What are you going to do to me? I don't want to go home and be startled at every noise, thinking it's you coming to collect my fingers. So tell me right now. Are you going to break my hand or pull my fingers off, too? Just what are you capable of doing to me?"

Eric took a step closer to her.

Sookie trembled. "No, stay where you are. You're not moving from there until you answer me. I deserve to know if you plan to kill or hurt me."

"Kill you? Hurt you? Lover, I will do no such thing . . . " he replied, eyeing her breasts and her sex lasciviously. "You have my word."

Sookie's body all but thrummed like a tuning fork. She straightened and tensed her frame, as her body wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by everything Eric. She cursed the bond they shared and resisted its call to join with her bonded. "Wait, before you say anything, I need to explain what happened–how things happened."

Eric's gaze was firmly planted away from her face.

"Eric!"

He blinked and looked into her eyes. "Sookie, what transpired tonight was not your fault. It was mine. It is I who should be making the explanations." He attempted to keep looking in her eyes, but failed miserably as his line of sight drifted down to her tantalizing breasts and alluring nether region.

"What are you talking about, Eric?"

She cupped her arms around her breasts and Eric smiled.

"Here, Lover, take my jacket. I regret the delay, I was engrossed in the view. I didn't think of offering it sooner."

"No, thanks, I am perfectly fine. Like I said, it's nothing you haven't seen before."

For once he enjoyed how stubborn she was.

"Now how's this your fault?"

"Lover, I have been using our bond to send you . . . _messages_."

"You? You've been doing this to me on purpose? Why?" She dropped her hands from her breasts and decided to cover her mound instead, as his gaze traveled there.

"On purpose? No, my, Lover." Having lived through almost everything had made Eric good at telling people what they wanted to hear, and this was no different. "It seems I have been having thoughts about you. Dreams, I guess you would call them." He looked upward and leered at her uncovered breasts.

"Dreams?" She looked up at him incredulously. "Ah—" Sookie was about to tell him to stay where he was, but Eric was already in front of her.

"Yes, dreams. What . . . do you think I am made of stone, woman?" He reached out with his right hand and lightly stroked one of her nipples with his fingertips.

She quickly moved his hand away, at least he let her think she did. No one moved a vampire unless the vampire allowed it.

"Eric, I . . . "

"My Lover, believe me, I did not think this would happen. I wished you no harm or intended you to suffer in any way. I only meant for you to miss me as much as I missed you." He moved his finger to stroke her other nipple, but she moved away before he could make contact with it.

"Well it didn't happen that way. I-I-I did things—"

"Sookie, forget what has happened tonight. I regret the side effects my thoughts had on you, but I do not wish to press the matter further. The shifter has told me all I needed to know. I for one want to put this behind us as I now understand the part I played in this."

"That's easy for you to say, Eric. You're not the one who has to live with what happened."

"Forget it, Lover. I will take care of _everything_. I can glamour the shifter and make him forget. I truly lament what I put you through."

Sookie paused to think. After what she saw, she wasn't too sure if she should let Eric "handle" anything. "So if this is all your fault—because of these dreams—then why did you hurt Bill and Sam?"

Without hesitation and emotion, Eric answered, "They dared to touch what is mine."

"I am not yours, Eric."

"Yes, you are."

"We are bonded only because Andre forced this on us. I have never yielded to you, Eric. And after what I saw tonight, I never will." Memories of cursed Eric flooded through her, but she pushed them away, realizing the Eric before her was nothing like that.

He quickly got in front of her, and in turn, Sookie scooted back on the hood toward the windshield to get away from him. He took off his jacket and shirt, unbuttoned his pants, kicked off his shoes, and was naked in front of her in less than a blink of an eye. His pale skin glistened in the moonlight—a vision of male perfection—his standing arousal a clear indicator of what he intended to do next.

"So you will never yield to me, Lover? Allow me to test your resolve."

"Eric Northman, you wouldn't dare!" Sookie seethed.

"Humph. Was it not you who just accused me moments ago of being a monster? Should we test your evaluation of me?"

Her eyes widened as he neared her.

"What if I do this, Lover?" He ran his cool, long fingers down her thighs, caressing them gently. He gripped them and slid her down to him. He stroked her back, neck, and arms. The sensation of his long and able fingers over her naked flesh left shivers over her body and made her nipples harden in anticipation.

Eric tested their bond and sensed a momentary flash of anger flood through Sookie, but it quickly dissipated. He smiled, knowing his powers of seduction had surely rid her of the fleeting emotion and now replaced it with lust and desire. She quickly changed her scowling demeanor and smiled sweetly at Eric while allowing him to continue to touch her body.

She moved her torso forward to his until her pebbled nipples touched his chest. "Well, you certainly know how to make a girl reconsider," she said in a sultry voice. "Close your eyes for me, Eric. I want to—"

"Yes, my lover?" he asked, her arousing scent tantalizing his senses.

"I want to give you a surprise." Sookie glanced at his erection and licked her lips.

Her actions and the sudden aroma of her arousal made Eric close his eyes as he thanked the gods everything was going according to his plans. He'd have Sookie in his house before the night was through and he'd finally have all her ex-lovers and Felipe off his back. He paused and closed his eyes, eagerly awaiting his surprise.

The loud sound of her hand striking his cheek filled the night air. Eric was in a stupor. Never had he expected Sookie to slap him in his face.

"That was for Sam!" Sookie yelled. "And this . . . this is for Bill!" She raised her hand again and made a motion to strike him, but this time Eric caught her hand.

"How admirable, my Lover. You defend those worthless fucks even when you know what I did was justified."

"What you did to them—to me—was unforgivable! I don't belong to you, Eric. I never will!" she shouted, moving back toward the windshield to get away from him.

Eric curled his lips in a wicked smile as he stroked his cheek. "Unforgivable, you say?" He placed his hands on the hood while Sookie moved further back away from him. "So you will never be mine? Are you sure about that? If that is the case, Lover, then why are you assaulting my senses with your arousal? You're practically begging me to take you."

He kneeled on top of the Corvette, and with one arm he grabbed one of Sookie's legs, sliding her back to him. Wasting no time, he got on top of her and Sookie realized they were in the same position on top of the Corvette as they had been on the night of the sex orgy outside of Jan Fowler's lake house.

Eric growled and kissed Sookie. She started thrashing, trying to get Eric off her, so he grabbed her arms and held them above her head. He opened her legs and pinned her thighs down with his. He circled her moistened folds delicately before he shoved one of his long fingers into her wet core and moved it fervently inside her while his erection, wishing it could take his finger's place, rested on her stomach.

Sookie bucked her hips at the sudden intrusion, but couldn't stop her traitorous body from sending Eric all her lust and desire to him through the bond, begging him to continue his sweet assault.

When he put two fingers inside her, she not only opened her legs wider to allow him better access to her, she also responded heatedly to his kiss, teasing him with her tongue, snuggling her warm body to his, obviously letting him know she wanted him just as much as he did.

He then moved to kiss her neck, her shoulders, and then her breasts by sliding down her body. He freed her arms and she instantly put them around his neck.

"Do you see now?" he whispered in her ear. "You are mine. Look how wet you get for me. You belong to me, Sookie. Why do you tease me so, woman? Yield to me . . ."

_No! I won't let you off so easily. You almost killed Sam and Bill. I want you so much, Eric, but, I can't let you off the hook like this. Sweet Shepherd, give me the strength to say no to him_. "N-n-n-no, not even if you do that. Ugh!" she moaned. "N-n-never, you hear me!" She took her arms from around him and tried to push him away. "Let go of me, Eric! Stop! No!"

Eric tried to stop, but the lust Sookie was sending him through the bond was overpowering his sense of control. _What game is she playing with me?_

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

A few steps away, Andy Bellefleur studied the scene before him. Unfortunately, he did not possess Eric's sense of smell nor was he privy to the feelings of lust and desire Sookie was sending to Eric through their bond. What Andy did possess though was a gun with silver bullets.

Shaking as if he were a rookie, Bon Temp's only detective gripped his gun, and gaped his mouth open. He couldn't believe his eyes. In an act of total disregard for the law, a vamp was attempting to take a woman by force—in his jurisdiction no less.

_Not on my watch buster_. Andy mustered up his courage.

He had clearly heard Sookie shout her refusal and in Andy Bellefleur's world, whenever a woman said _no_, it meant _no_. He cocked his gun, aiming to put a stop to the crime happening in front of him.

Had Andy known that in Eric Northman's world, whenever a woman said, no to the Viking, it meant she wanted him to slow down and extend their foreplay, he would have simply walked away from the whole ordeal. But Andy had no knowledge of that, nor was he aware that women had started wars to claim Eric's cock, like the witch Hallow who had cursed the handsome Sheriff because he refused to bed her.

Andy only knew two things: how many times he had heard the word no from the women he had unsuccessfully tried to bed over the course of his life, and the certainty no one would ever start a war over what lay between his legs.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

Eric paused and pulled away from the blonde beauty beneath him. _So, she wants to play games and say, no? All right, I will indulge her. _He uttered a word he had not spoken in over a millennia. "F-forgive me, Lover." He trailed his tongue on her earlobe. "You have a steel resolve. One, not even I could break. I will stop. Give me a moment. I will take you to your home."

Panic coursed through Sookie's body. _Is he serious? He's stopping? Sweet Shepherd, is he leaving me? How long will it be now before he comes back to me? No, Eric! I don't want you stop. Please don't go_.

To show him she desperately wanted him, she reached her hands down his body and cradled his jewels in her hands, hoping he'd change his mind. Eric flinched at her sudden action, and even though he felt like he was in gates of Valhalla, he slowly removed her hand, not wanting to be surprised again as he had been earlier by her false pretenses.

She looked at him lustfully and whimpered, licking her lips in hopes he'd understand what she truly desired. When Eric still looked at her perplexedly, she sent him all the lust and desire she felt for him through their bond, urging him to continue.

He clearly got her message and moved to press his body on hers again. "You little minx. You are cruel to tease me so. Does this mean I have been absolved, my lover?" he purred into her ear.

Sookie widened her legs and bucked her hips, begging him to touch her again. "Yes," she barely whispered, embarrassed to admit she'd let get him get away with murder as long as he kissed and touched her like that.

"I won't stop now, Sookie. Do you hear me?" he whispered into her ear. "Nothing will make me stop from taking you now."

She answered him by kissing his cheek, and he moved to kiss her passionately. "Nothing," he whispered, pulling slightly back before assaulting her mouth with a growl.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

Pam had just finished the task her Master had entrusted her with, and she sat both the shifter and Bill by Dumpster. She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for them to stir awake so they could be shown to Sookie in a perfect state of health.

As she waited, she remembered she had to glamour the cop, and set out to look for him. She spotted him by the bar's entrance and when she moved towards him, she found him spying on her Master and Sookie.

_Tsk. Tsk. Some people have no manners._

Just as she was about to walk up to him, she took a quick glance at what the Golden Couple were doing, and saw they were on top of Eric's Corvette. Sookie's mouthwatering scent filled her with immediate happiness.

_At last, Sookie's yielding to him!_ _Sure, he'll be unbearable for the next few days, but we can finally move on to something else now. Hmm, perhaps I should start teasing him with a spring wedding. I can't wait to see his face when I mention it._

In her head, she imagined Eric actually getting married and thought on all the things she'd have to do to carry such an event out. She thought about the design of her sapphire-blue dress which complemented her skin perfectly, the invitations she was going to have to send out, the shop she had to contract to make the wedding cake for the human and shifter guests, and so on and so forth.

She got so wrapped up over the fantasy wedding preparations, and how she was going to handle all the compliments her sapphire dress was going to get, she didn't hear Andy Bellefleur shouting over to Eric.

"I've got a gun and I'm going to use it, do you hear me? You let her go, you dead motherfucker! This is my parish and she said no, you dead piece of shit!"

Eric didn't hear a word Andy said. The Viking was presently savoring the taste of Sookie's breasts in his mouth. He pierced the tip of her puckered tip with his fangs. The ambrosial taste of her blood danced on his tongue as he slightly grazed her nipple, drawing trace amounts of blood from it. He then sucked deeply on her hardened, pink tips to milk them of the precious red liquid. With equal passion, he rubbed his erection on her wet sex, while his fingers worked her to a state of frenzy.

"Oh, Eric," Sookie whispered. She was on the verge of climax as Eric worked his skillful fingers on her nub. With eager anticipation, he anxiously awaited her release so he could fully bury his fangs into her breast and plunge his dick into her wet core. Heaven was just moments away.

Seeing the criminal vampire so preoccupied, Andy cocked his gun and aimed right at Eric's non-beating heart. Upon hearing the hammer click back, Pam finally came out of her party-planning mode and sensed the danger to her Master. Since she given much of her blood to heal Sam, she was only able to move in her regular speed to stop the detective from interrupting her Master's plans.

Bill, now fully healed, sat motionless by the Dumpster, pretending to be asleep as he watched the events unfold before him. Seeing Pam move slowly towards his human descendant, Bill knew this was the perfect opportunity to rid himself of Eric. Bill lunged at Pam in his vampire speed, striking her with a rock on the back of her head.

He thought about killing her, but realized he needed a witness to testify Eric did not die by his hand, but that of a human. After she had served her purpose, then and only then, would he dispose himself of the baneful vampiress.

While Pam lay unconscious at his feet, Bill stood behind his unsuspecting descendant. _Shoot!_

"Hey, you dead motherfucker! I _said_ let her go!" Andy shouted again with more fear than courage in his voice. He waited for Eric to respond, but Eric was oblivious to anything but Sookie's heartbeat and impending release.

Eric stopped licking and kissing her breasts and instructed the panting telepath with a whisper. "Open your eyes, Lover. Look at me."

Sookie complied and he moved slightly upward so she could clearly see his cerulean eyes when she climaxed. She began to moan loudly and her eyes fluttered as Eric's fingers had finally brought her to the edge.

"Oh!" Sookie's first orgasmic wave overtook her body. She locked her gaze on Eric's face above her while he looked down at her with fascination glowing in his eyes. _Oh God! Oh, Yes!_ Sookie trembled and she let go, surrendering wholly to the sensations overpowering her.

For a split second, Sookie blinked as she felt something warm hit her forehead and spread to her breasts. She froze in terror. It was Eric's blood, both warm and wet.

"Sookie . . . " Eric tensed and slumped over on top of her—unconscious.

"AHH!" Sookie let out a bloodcurdling scream.

* * *

**A/N:** Well how convenient that bucket of water was there for Eric, huh? Sorry, I couldn't resist the _Australia_ water wash. Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out this clip:

you tube[ D O T]com/watch?v=e-oVONuM8Bw&feature=related

just take out [ D O T], place a period " . " and no spaces!

Huge THANKS to everyone who has actually taken the time to review! It really makes my day to know you care! *hugs*


	10. A Delicate Operation

**Disclaimer:** The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

"AHH!" Sookie let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"Sookie Stackhouse! You there?" Andy yelled out before the darkness overtook him, as Bill knocked him out with a light punch to the back of his head. Before Andy hit the ground, Bill picked him up and sat him on the ground by his patrol car, ensuring his descendant would wake up tomorrow with only a headache.

Bill moved in vampire speed, hurriedly dressing himself with a Merlotte's warm-up and T-shirt. He rid himself of the blood-covered incriminating rock he hit Pam with by hurling it in the air. He dashed over to Sookie's side, praying Andy's silver bullets had struck Eric in the heart.

"Sookie, are you all right?" he asked in his Southern drawl.

"Bill, is that you?"

"Yes."

Sookie was having trouble breathing and tried lifting Eric up. "Someone shot Eric! Please help him, Bill! Please, I beg you. Help me lift him so I can give him my blood!"

"He will be fine, Sookie. Please calm down." Bill stood by, reluctant to lift a finger to help. He brought his gaze downward and looked behind him, unsure how to proceed.

"William Erasmus Compton! Help me!"

Hesitantly, Bill slid Eric off to the side, and picked up Eric's discarded shirt on the ground. "Wait here. I'm going to take Eric's shirt and dampen it, so you can clean up. I'll be right back." _I'll see if I can find a wooden stake while I'm at it, too_.

Sookie nodded and kissed the palm of Eric's hand. "Please, Eric, wake up." She looked behind her and saw the unconscious bodies of Pam and Andy Bellefleur, a gun resting by his side. She quickly surmised he was the one who must have shot Eric. _But what happened to Pam?_

A red flag waved frantically inside Sookie's mind. Everyone was down for the count except Bill, who just moments ago had been lying on the floor next to Pam—the same Pam who now had an injury to her head. _Could he be responsible for what's happening? Only someone who's really fast could take Pam down_.

Fear suddenly seized her, and she knew the only way she could get at the truth was if she read Bill's mind. Desperate for answers, she ingested what she could of Eric's blood from her chest, to find out if Bill was really behind Eric's shooting. As the red, thick substance slowly traveled down her throat, her body shuddered from the experience of such a rich flavor. She just hoped it was enough.

"Eric," she whispered to him, moving her hand down his back. She jumped upon hearing Bill call her.

"Sookie. Here, clean yourself with this." He handed her Eric's wet shirt. She stepped off the Corvette, and while she cleaned up, Bill turned Eric over on his back.

"Bill, can you please tell me what happened?"

"I don't know the exact details, Sookie, but I assume Andy Bellefleur shot Eric."

"You didn't see anything?" she asked him delicately.

"I was injured and recuperating on the floor, so no, I can't say that I did. I just remember hearing shots as I was coming to." Bill's gaze traveled down her body.

Sookie placed her arm protectively over her breasts and she took a step back, her feet brushing on Eric's leather jacket on the floor. She quickly grabbed it and put it on, cursing at Bill for being such a liar. While she zipped up the jacket, she tried delving into his mind, but all she came up was with a big, empty blank. "Bill, why hasn't Eric woken up?" she asked, shaking her hair loose from the jacket's collar.

"He was shot, Sookie. He will take some time to heal."

"No, I've been around Eric when he's been shot before, and he's never lost consciousness like this."

Sookie took Eric's shirt and wiped off the dried blood on his torso, and she could now clearly see two small holes in the middle of his chest. She squinted her eyes, trying to study him in the pale moonlight and discovered the skin around the bullet holes was unsuccessfully trying to seal shut. As she neared Eric to examine him closer, a burning smell came off his body. "Sweet Shepherd, his wounds aren't healing. What?" Her words caught in her throat. "Oh shit, Bill! Silver bullets! Eric's been shot with silver bullets!"

"Yes, I think you're right," he responded dryly.

"What do we do, Bill? Do we have to take them out?"

"Let me take you home, Sookie. I'll take care of Eric. I'll call a doctor."

"Take me home? What? I'm not leaving Eric, and a doctor? There's no time for that, Bill!" She paused briefly and startled Bill with her shouts. "I've got it! I'll be right back, okay? I have an idea. Don't touch him!" she yelled over at Bill while she ran inside the bar.

Bill muttered under his breath, "I wouldn't dream of it." Ensuring himself that Sookie was gone, Bill produced a knife made out of wood from his back pocket. He held it to Eric's chest. As Bill made the motion to drive the knife into his archrival's chest, Eric's hand suddenly came up and grabbed Bill by the throat, squeezing him tightly.

"You f-fucking c-coward . . . " Eric flung Bill to the ground with the last of his strength. Weakened by the silver poisoning his blood, Eric attempted to sit up, but a coughing fit held him back. He sputtered blood from his mouth and fell back onto the hood of the car. Clutching his chest in obvious pain, it took all of his strength not to scream.

"Oh, what's the matter, Sheriff? Got some silver on your tongue? Oh, no wait. It's more like stuck in your chest." Bill stood up.

"I p-p-promise, I'll . . . " Eric grasped his chest and widened his eyes, trying to control the wave of pain that seized him.

"Go ahead, don't hold it. Go ahead and scream," Bill taunted.

Eric stood up and walked toward him. "You're d-dead."

"Tell me something I don't already know." Bill picked up the knife and walked towards Eric again.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

Sookie ran inside the bar, intent on getting some pliers, a knife, and a magnet to extract the bullets from Eric's chest, but when she walked in, a strange feeling overcame her, compelling her to go into the bathroom. She knew time was of the essence with Eric, and tried to resist, but she found herself obeying some mysterious call to go inside the Ladies' room.

Once inside, she stared at the mirror as if she was under a trance. She was about to wash her hands, and was surprised to see what looked like the container with Claudine's shower gel sitting on the sink. She opened it up and she took a sniff, confirming her suspicions.

_What's happening to me?_ As if under a spell, she succumbed to a strange urge to clean herself with the body wash. She took off her clothes and sprayed water on herself, not caring if she made a mess on the floor.

When she was done, she was shocked to see her hair was intact, not even a strand was out of place. She put her apron and Eric's jacket back on. His cologne filled her senses and woke her up. _What the hell am I doing? Eric's dying outside! What's wrong with me? I have to help him, not waste my time in here!_

Thanks to Eric's blood, she quickly gathered the things she came in for and made her way outside. To her amazement, everything was just as she had left it, as if she had only taken a few seconds to go inside Merlotte's. _Is this magic? Claudine, are you here?_

She looked around, but couldn't find a trace of her cousin. "Bill?" she asked, seeing him stand above Eric threateningly. Just as she was about to curse out Bill and ask him what the hell he was doing, she saw Eric's eyes lock onto hers. "Eric, you woke up! Thank God!" She quickened her steps towards the two vampires, who immediately took in her scent and felt a soothing sensation overcome their senses.

Sookie wanted to throw her arms around the Viking, but stopped when she saw he was in pain. She covered her mouth and desperately tried not to cry. "Eric—"

"S-Sookie, where is P-Pam?" More blood sputtered out of his mouth.

Sookie couldn't stop her tears. "Oh, please, Eric. Try not to talk. She's unconscious. I don't know what happened to her." She turned to Bill. "I know I asked you before, Bill, but I can't recall what you said. What happened again?" She wondered what lie he'd come up with now.

"I hit her with a rock so she wouldn't stop Andy from shooting Eric." He let go of the knife in his hand. "I wanted Eric to die so you would come back to me," he added, as if he couldn't control himself from revealing the truth.

Sookie gasped, not expecting to hear Bill confess.

Eric weakly grabbed at him again, but Bill just flung Eric's arm away. "K-kill you," Eric mumbled. He fell back onto the hood of the car and laid back in pain.

"Not if I kill you first," Bill spat back.

"Stop it, the both of you!" Sookie shouted at them. "Bill, go and heal Pam. I have to help Eric."

"No, I don't want to." Bill whined like a stubborn two-year-old child.

"If you don't want me to give my great-grandfather the blessing he needs to end you, you _will_ go and heal Pam. Although I don't know what she did to you—and believe me I'd rather not know—she healed you, didn't she?"

Bill reluctantly nodded.

"Well now, you hurt her, too. I'd say you're about even. Now, go heal her." Sookie paused and then softened the tone of her voice. "And Sam, too."

Bill sped away.

"Thanks." She turned and propped herself on top of the Corvette and straddled Eric. She placed the items she brought from inside the bar onto the hood of car. Eric, still naked, tilted his head sideways and stared at the items she laid out: a pair of pliers, a knife, and a big magnet.

"S-Sookie, what?" More blood sputtered out from his lips, and then a gurgling noise filled his throat.

"Don't talk, Eric, please. I don't know if this is going to hurt you, but I think I can take out the bullets."

In his weakened state, and with his throat full of blood, Eric had no choice but to nod and smile weakly.

Sookie put her hands at her side, trying to stop them from shaking. _Well, at least I know I'll never be a world-class surgeon one day. _She took a deep breath and relaxed. To try to calm down, she caressed Eric's cheek. She took the knife and tried her best to steady her hand.

Eric shifted nervously below her, unsure if he should keep his eyes open or close them, so as to not unnerve Sookie further.

Sookie took a deep breath, feeling as if she was playing the game _Operation: The Eric Northman Edition_ and there was going to be a loud buzzing sound when she made a mistake. "No, wait." Wiping the area just above her lip, she decided to try something else before trying the knife.

She got the pliers and gripped the cylindrical magnet with them. Lowering the pliers with the magnet into the first hole, she thought the magnet would attract the silver and she could take the bullet out effortlessly.

Moments passed as she held the magnet to Eric's wounds, but nothing happened. "Damn it!" The bullets were too deeply embedded, and the magnet was completely useless. _I'm so stupid! I've been watching too many fucking Tom and Jerry cartoons! _There was no way around it. She was going to have to use the knife and dig the bullets out.

She set the pliers and the magnet down and grabbed the knife again. She looked at Eric, locking eyes with him. He looked so helpless in this position, and she bent down to kiss him on his bloodied lips, eliciting a weak smile from him.

"Are you ready?"

He nodded his head lightly and her hand began to shake again as she put the knife's point inside the bullet hole. She decided this was going to be her guiding point, and she was going to make a straight incision to open both holes.

Eric wanted to tell her to do it quickly, but since he couldn't talk, he just looked at her and tried his best to communicate with his eyes.

Slowly, Sookie moved the knife, putting slight pressure on the blade, but the knife didn't cut. _Okay._ _This is just like slicing pumpkins on Halloween; I have to put more pressure. _She applied more pressure to her incision and this time, the knife successfully pierced Eric's skin. But she was working too slowly, and Eric stiffened, widening his eyes, holding in his screams as the pain overwhelmed him. Just as Sookie was about to cut a triangular shape onto Eric's chest—like the crooked eyes she always carved on her Halloween pumpkins—Pam came up behind her.

"Sookie, give me the knife. I'll tend to my Master." Pam forcefully took the knife from Sookie's hand, and moved her aside.

Not wanting to start a petty fight at a time like this, Sookie let it go and glanced behind Pam, noticing Andy was no longer on the ground, but safely inside his vehicle. She regretted Bill hadn't turned off the red and blue lights, though. They were extremely distracting. Her face lit up as she saw Sam and Bill walking toward her. Sookie walked around Pam, who was carefully examining Eric's wounds.

"Sookie?" Sam asked.

"Sam, are you okay?" She glanced at his hands, and counted his fingers, feeling as if she was the vampire Count on Sesame Street, accent and all. _Yes, ten! Ten fingers there! Thank God!_

"I'm all right, cher. But look at you. You look like you just got out of a hair salon—"

Pam put an end to their conversation. ""Cut the chit chat, shifter. Don't make me regret putting those two fingers back on you. As a matter of fact, come over here and make good use of them. Help me get these silver bullets out."

"I can help, too," Sookie said.

Pam gave her an icy stare. "Don't you think you've done enough tonight? Besides this is clearly beyond your limited skill set."

Sam started to sound out a _fuck you_ to Pam.

Sookie shook her head and grabbed onto his shirt, pulling on it. "It's all right, Sam. Please, Eric's in so much pain. Please."

Sam bit his comments. "Fine. For you, I'll help that dead motherf—"

Pam shot him a death glare and instead moved to Eric's side. In her vampire speed, she dug the knife deeply into the first bullet hole and made a connecting incision to the next hole. Eric's body stiffened and he closed his eyes, red tears escaping from them. Pam continued cutting and slicing until she finally had access to the bullets. Feeling nauseous from the pain, Eric turned his head sideways and expelled the blood which had collected in his throat.

Sookie wiped off Eric's blood from his face and mouth and the car with his still-wet shirt. She then planted another soft kiss on his cheek and stroked his brow lovingly.

"Use your hands, Shifter," Pam said. "Those outdated pliers lack the proper traction to grab the bullets and are too slick. You really should buy better tools with a rubberized traction, which allows for dual use in both wet and dry situations."

Rolling his eyes upward, Sam reached into Eric's chest, took out the two bullets, and handed them to Sookie. Just as she did when Eric was shot in Dallas, she kept them and put them in Eric's jacket pocket.

Pam made her way to the back of the Corvette, while Bill and Sam stood idly by. Sookie climbed on top of Eric, straddling him again, and put her right wrist on his mouth. "Here, drink from me so you can heal faster. Take all you need," she whispered to him.

"That won't be necessary." Pam brought out three blood bags Eric had placed in a hidden compartment in the Corvette. "As you can see, my Master is always prepared."

Eric weakly licked her wrist and kissed it softly. "Thank you for the offer, my Lover."

Sookie got off Eric and handed him one of the blood bags. In no time at all, he downed the entire contents, his wounds closing as he drank. Due to his age, Eric only needed one bag to fully recover, and he sat up on the hood when he was completely regenerated.

Bill shifted around restlessly, and Eric and Pam both glared up at him simultaneously. It seemed they were now ready to deal with him again.

In order to break the ensuing tension, Sookie got Eric's pants from the floor and shook the dirt off them. Kneeling down before the Viking, she set to helping him get his clothes on by guiding his legs into his pants.

Eric was truly enjoying her change of attitude and submissive behavior. It almost made the whole ordeal worthwhile. "Well aren't you sweet, my Lover?"

"Yes, she is very sweet! Too sweet a prize for one such as you, Viking. She is more suited to be with a King, than with such lowly trash as you." Felipe De Castro's right-hand man, Victor Madden, appeared from behind Merlotte's.

Sandy emerged behind the building next, then The King, Felipe de Castro himself. All three of them bared their fangs. The three Nevada vampires inhaled Sookie's scent deeply and experienced a calming, soothing sensation as they neared the startled group.

"Good evening, Miss Stackhouse," Felipe uttered in his Spanish accent, while looking at her appreciatively.

At that moment, Sookie was glad she had covered up. She immediately closed her eyes and began counting the voids she knew were hiding in the shadows.

Felipe De Castro, dressed in an impeccable black suit and his trademark cape, slightly bowed. "How are you, Miss Stackhouse? I hope we have not interrupted anything . . . important."

Sookie ignored his comment. "Eric, I count more than thirty voids. We are surrounded." She stood by Eric, who had now gotten off the Corvette. He finished buttoning up his slacks, and intertwined his hand in hers.

In a perfectly calm tone of voice that chilled Sookie's blood, Victor Madden said, "Thirty-five of us, Miss Stackhouse, to be precise, with only two objectives: to make me the new Sheriff of Area Five and to make you the King's new pet."

* * *

**A/N:** It's hard to believe all these chapters have taken place in the same day, huh? What a night!

Thank you so much to all who have been so kind as to leave a review. Thanks for showing you care!


	11. My Cup Runneth Over

**Disclaimer:** The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N:** If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and rent the movie Blood & Chocolate – a cute werewolf movie. The thing I love the most about it, is the cool way they show fealty or submission – it's so sexxxxy! I just love the bow, the wave of the hair, and the baring of the neck! Purrr! But alas, this movie is PG-13 or something, so that was pretty much all the excitement there. But still, it's a cute movie. Anyhoo, I incorporate their particular little bow here in this fanfic. D'accord!

**You can see it here:**  
you tube[D O T]com/watch?v=EfGJ9KvjXM4&feature=related  
just take out the [D O T] and replace it with a period "." plus no spaces.  
You can fast forward to around 6:09 – this is when they show the bow. :)

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

In a perfectly calm tone of voice that chilled Sookie's blood, Victor Madden said, "Thirty-five of us, Miss Stackhouse, to be precise, with only two objectives: to make me the new Sheriff of Area Five and to make you the King's new pet."

Eric boomed out a loud, thunderous laugh. "Thirty-five vampires, Victor? Am I really such a big threat that you had to bring so many after me?"

Victor growled and hissed at Eric. "Why, I do believe you are _sweating_, Northman. You know you and your child don't stand a chance against us. Why don't you make this easier on yourself and hand over Sookie?" Victor took a step toward Sookie.

"You _will_ be dead before you even reach her," Eric warned menacingly.

Sookie's heart began to race rapidly and she gripped Eric's hand even tighter.

"Sookie is my bonded. She is mine."

Pam fought the urge to roll her eyes. _Well at least this time he didn't pound his chest_.

Victor stopped advancing as Eric defiantly straightened his posture.

Sandy chuckled. "Your bond was never finalized, Sheriff. She has yet to yield to you and you have as yet to remain faithful to her." A wicked smile graced her lips.

Sookie gulped. Eric's fidelity, or lack thereof, was something she had always put in the back of her mind. She wasn't gullible enough to believe he was faithful to her, but having the truth thrown at her in this manner, was difficult to swallow—to say the least. Her grip on Eric's hand slackened, but Eric gripped her hand, squeezing it tighter. The remorseful look in his eyes confirmed Sandy's statement. Her breath hitched and she looked away.

"Compton. " Victor paused to point at himself and Felipe. "We value your database and the income it generates to our territory. We also know you hold no favor with the current, and soon to be disposed of Sheriff, especially after what we saw here today. Join us."

Bill knew as soon as Felipe and his regime got what they wanted from his database, he'd be expendable. Eric on the other hand, wanted him dead, yesterday. His only choice was to follow Sookie. He hoped she could sway the victor of tonight's battle to keep him alive. "I follow Sookie. Wherever she goes, so shall I, too. I will lay down my life for her. This I have vowed, and this I will honor."

Pam rolled her eyes upwards.

Eric and Sam straightened their postures.

Sam quickly added, "I too, agree with Bill's words. I will give my life in order to defend Sookie."

"Your opinion and your loyalty is irrelevant in this matter, Shifter. You are _inconsequential_ to us. You may leave." Victor waved his hands at Sam, as if he was swatting at a pesky fly.

Sookie tried to disengage her hand from Eric's, but he held onto her tighter. "Eric, let go of my hand."

Her words stung him and Eric felt as if Sookie was still working on him with the knife. For some strange reason he couldn't quite comprehend, he wanted to kneel in front of her, bury his head in her stomach, and beg her forgiveness for causing her pain. But he quickly dispatched the feeling. _If she never apologized to me for leaving Rhodes with Quinn while being bonded to me, then why should I? We swore no fealty to one another._

He loosened his grip on her hand. Before letting her go, however, he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "As you wish, Dear One," he whispered tenderly, and released her hand.

Victor and Sandy grinned. They knew they had succeeded in separating them.

"I guess we see now where everyone stands," Felipe began. "Very well, Northman, what say you? Will you hand Miss Stackhouse over to me?"

"Your Majesty, with all due respect, I must decline your gracious offer to take my bonded off my hands. Our bond is not business driven. I have had a long life and it is high time I joined my life with another. Sookie is mine, and I, too, will lay down my life for her."

To everyone's surprise, especially Sookie's, Eric knelt down on one knee in front of her. Using his mindspeak, he spoke to Pam. _Child, kneel to your Mistress_.

Pam hesitated, shocked Eric would pledge himself or his life to anyone. Eric sensed his child's uncertainty, and not having the luxury of time to explain, he thought over to her. _As your Maker, I command you to kneel to your Mistress and offer her your fealty_.

The vampiress' knees buckled and both Eric and Pam knelt. In synchronized unison, they each raised their right hand, and brought it to the left side of their head. They held back their loose hair and presented their bare neck up to Sookie, while averting their gaze to the ground, a formal bow of fealty.

Eric then looked up and locked eyes with Sookie, speaking solemnly. "From this day forth, I swear my devotion to none other than you, Sookie Stackhouse, and swear to drink from no one else. I pledge my fealty and undying devotion to you, Dear One, and vow to meet the sun if I do not have you by my side. All this I have vowed, and all this I will honor until the end of my days." He looked over to his child expectantly, waiting for her to follow his example.

Pam kept her gaze at Sookie's feet. "As do I, Mistress, vow and swear my fealty, the same fealty I swear to my Master."

Eric's and Pam's gestures touched Sookie in her soul as did those of Bill and Sam. She could not hold back her tears at the show of love from her friends and Eric's words. _Could he really be serious? Will he never touch or drink from anyone but me? Sweet Shepherd, I've been dying to hear those words coming from his lips, and now it seems I got my wish in more ways than one. It's just not fair he's saying them just as we're about to die. _

Sookie tried frantically to stop from crying, and used her hands to wipe the tears which fell down her face. Eric reached out to her and cupped her hands in his, licking the tears off her fingers and kissing the palms of her hands. Only after he rose from his kneeling position, did Pam rise as well.

Victor laughed, an expression of disgust on his face. He clapped his hands. "How very touching. How very touching indeed."

The four companions, whom just a few moments ago had been engaged in trying to end each other's lives, huddled closer together. Sookie took a few steps away from them and spoke to Victor.

"Victor, if . . . if . . . I go with you willingly, would you spare their lives?"

"Eric and his child would be killed immediately. Compton would be kept alive until we had no further use for him, and since _the other_ serves absolutely no value to us, we would concede to letting the shifter keep his worthless life," Victor replied.

Sookie was shocked to hear such candor coming from Victor. _Remind me never to ask him if I look fat in shorts. _"I see." She faced Felipe. "Then I choose to remain with Eric. I will fight until the end, for I don't want to be anyone's pet."

Eric was moved by Sookie's courage and drew his bonded near, putting his hand on the curve of her back. Sookie turned and stood before him. He encircled his hands on her waist, and tenderly kissed her forehead.

"Well, isn't that sweet, Sookie? Yes, I should just call you Sookie since we are going to get to know each other well. As I was saying, Sookie, you are just delaying the inevitable. Eric says you always heel nicely when he calls on you. Obviously, you are already used to being someone's pet."

"Sookie is no one's pet, Victor!" Eric yelled at him. "She is with me by choice, and that is why I . . . " Eric paused and everyone who was able to, held his or her breath as to what he would say next.

_Sweet Shepherd. Is he going to say what I think he's going to say?_

"That is why I care for her and will give my life for her."

Sookie's shoulders dropped in disappointment. The rest in attendance scoffed.

Victor laughed. "Your bond is a joke, Northman! You can't even tell your bonded that you love her."

Sookie's anger flooded through her. She was not going to stand by any longer and let Victor run his mouth at her expense.

"He doesn't need to, Victor! Words get lost in the wind, but actions last forever. Eric _shows_ me his love. Ever since the first day I met him, he has taken care of me, loved me, and more importantly he's been there for me unconditionally," Sookie spat back at him. She thought about adding how Eric had put on pink tights, pretended to be gay, and had taken her to an orgy, but somehow she thought that wouldn't give off the desired effect. _Best not mention that tidbit._

"Yeah right," Sandy retorted. "We've all heard how much of his _love_ for you he's been showing to every fangbanger in his club."

Sookie sighed. _I've had enough of this bitch_. "Well, I'll have you know—"

"Enough talk, Sookie. Northman, the final hour for you and your motley crew has finally arrived. Prepare yourselves." Victor motioned forth the vampires in Felipe's retinue.

Pam walked to the back of the Corvette again and came back holding three swords.

"Just how many things do you have in that Corvette, Eric? Because a bazooka or a machine gun turret would really come in handy right about now," Sookie asked.

Eric chuckled. "Well, Dear One, if we survive this night, I will definitely look into installing that."

Sookie hoped their situation wasn't as hopeless as it seemed.

Both Bill and Pam drank some blood from the extra reserve bags Eric had not used earlier when he was healing himself, as they wanted to make sure they were more than ready for the ensuing battle. Sam was completely regenerated, since he had taken some of Pam's blood earlier, and was still under its healing effects.

Sookie hugged Sam and Bill to wish them luck. When she came up to hug Pam, the vampiress stepped back quickly, pretending to inspect her sword's sharpness. Sookie gave her a pat on her shoulder and mouthed a _thank you_ to her.

At last, Sookie got to Eric and reluctantly kissed him, briefly touching her lips with his as she stood on her tiptoes. In actuality, she wanted to slap him and yell at him, _"So that's why you take months to get back at me! You're out living it up with all those fangbanging whores!" _But knew she had no right to tell him anything. When they bonded, it was out of necessity—it was choosing the lesser of two evils—Andre or Eric. There had been no commitments or promises of fidelity.

"Dear One, get inside the bar."

Her anger faltered with his endearment. _Sweet Shepherd, why can't I feel anything but love for him?_ "No, Eric. I want to stay here with you."

"No, Lover. You will be safer inside. Listen to me; I need to know you are safe."

"He's right, Sookie," Bill and Sam both agreed.

"The last thing we need is for you to compromise our lives further by getting yourself captured," Pam added rather indelicately.

Eric shot his child a rather scathing look, but Sookie held Eric's hand in hers.

"She's right. I'll go inside." Sookie went and stood at the front entrance to Merlotte's, overlooking the ensuing battle. Sam took off his clothes and shifted into a bear again, but this time he seemed larger and more menacing.

Sookie gasped. _Must be the vampire blood_.

The group of four fighters readied themselves and Victor dispatched the first wave of six vampires. This group of vampires, also armed with swords, approached the group slowly.

"Eric!" Sookie yelled. "Watch out! There are Weres coming up fast behind you. It's an ambush!"

The four fighters moved to stand back-to-back. Pam teamed with up with Sam, and Eric teamed up with Bill, ensuring that one person could defend the front, while the other covered the back.

A loud sound of crunching gravel resounded through the tense air.

"Did we make the party in time, or are we fashionably late?" A naked Alcide Herveaux, along with several other naked Weres, came upon the group.

The four fighters let out a sigh of relief, and Sam—in his bear form—stood up on his back hind legs and gave out a mighty roar.

Sookie came running up to Alcide and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Alcide, I don't know what to say. How did you know . . . "

"Sam called us earlier. Sorry we took so long in getting here, but there was a backup on the highway. Some idiot in a red car was driving erratically and running people off the road, speeding like a madman. He left a big traffic jam in his wake."

Sookie smiled and wondered just who that could have been.

"Anyways, Sam said there were some vampires on his property who were bothering you, Sookie, and he asked for our assistance. As Friend of the Pack, we owe you our fealty. I brought twenty of my best. We are at your disposal." Alcide and the rest of his pack knelt down on one knee and performed the fealty bow.

As they bared their neck to Sookie, they simultaneously chanted, "Friend of the Pack."

Sookie felt her heart swell with all the outpouring of love and support she had been receiving from all her friends and loved ones.

The crunch of gravel pounded everyone's ears once more.

"Is this an invitation-only party, or can anyone join in?" Calvin Norris approached with ten Hot Shot shifters in tow. "It seems I got wind of what was going on here, and as a friend of The Werepanther Pack, Sookie, we are here for you if you need us."

Calvin's pack knelt down, did the same fealty bow, and bared their necks, chanting, "Friend of the Pack."

All of her life, Sookie had been treated as an outcast and labeled as being crazy. For the first time, she realized she was not alone in the world, and that she mattered to so many people. She had never felt so loved and cared for, and if she had been able to speak, she would have quoted her favorite Sandra Bullock movie line to say, "_My cup runneth over."_

After Calvin and his pack rose, she stopped sobbing and went over to him to greet him as well. "Thank you, my friends. I don't have fancy words to tell you how much this means to me." Sookie tried her best to calm her tears.

"Alcide, Calvin, as a Friend of your Packs, I humbly request you fight by Eric, my Blood Bonded's side. The new king, Felipe de Castro, along with thirty-five of his vampires, wish to kill him, Bill, Sam, and Pam as well and make me the king's new pet. Will you fight alongside us to stop this?"

"Yes," both Alcide and Calvin responded. "For you, we will fight."

"There is _no bond_!" Victor screamed at the top of his dead lungs. "The ceremony was not completed properly and your pathetic alliance is a joke at best."

Alcide and Calvin positioned themselves with the four fighters. Eric touched the shoulders of the two Packmasters in good faith, as vampires did not shake hands.

"I thank you both for coming to aid my bonded tonight. If we live through this night, I will return the favor to your packs."

Both Packmasters nodded, accepting Eric's gracious offer, but Alcide didn't understand what Victor was talking about. "What do you mean there is no bond? What's missing to complete the bond process?"

Victor looked over at Alcide with an exasperated look on his face as if he wanted to say, _Do I really have to explain myself to you?_

"Well?" Alcide asked._  
_

Sandy stepped in. "Sookie never yielded to Eric, while Eric has yet to remain faithful to her. They must both exchange blood simultaneously while _yielding_ in order for the bond to take hold. They have not done any of this, therefore, Eric has left Sookie unprotected and is unsuited to be with her."

"Oh," Alcide said.

Victor moved toward the king and slapped him heartily on the shoulder.

Felipe looked at him as if he was out of his mind.

"Yes, thank you, Sandy. King Felipe de Castro, here, has sworn to protect Sookie. And in order for us to ensure her safety at all times, the King has graciously acceded to claim Sookie as his own. Avoid the unnecessary bloodshed to your people, Weres! Go home! This is not your fight!" Victor yelled frantically, moving protectively in front of the King.

"What an ass. I think there's something wrong with that one," Calvin muttered under his breath. "He seems too jumpy for a vamp."

Eric scoffed in agreement.

"That's where you're wrong, vampire," Alcide bellowed, having just directed some of his pack into strategic defense positions. "As long as Sookie wishes to fight—"

"We will fight," Calvin ended.

Victor waved his hands wildly in the air. "And what exactly are you fighting for? There _is no_ bond! There is nothing here to sacrifice your lives for. Leave!"

Loud popping noises filled the air.

"Is this true, Eric Northman?" Niall Brigant appeared out of nowhere, along with several fairies in tow. It was apparent they were all masking their scents, because the vampires gave no indication their presence was affecting them.

"Prince." Eric inclined his head.

"Great-Grandfather!" Sookie was ecstatic at seeing Niall and quickly went to embrace him.

"Child," Niall spoke tenderly to Sookie, and smoothed her hair.

Felipe moved forward, about to inquire what was going on, when Victor pushed him aside. The shock registered in Felipe's furrowed brow.

"What is the meaning of this, Eric?" Victor asked.

Not missing the slight power struggle between Victor and Felipe, Eric answered, "Your Majesty, the night of the takeover, I informed Victor that harming Sookie would set unknown forces into motion."

"That was just an idle threat," Victor replied, undermining Felipe's place once more.

"Idle threat or not is for Prince Niall Brigant to decide. Sookie is part Fae—Niall's descendant to be precise. To harm her now would surely be taken as a declaration of war against the Fae," Eric stated solemnly.

Victor, Felipe, and Sandy all looked at each other in disbelief.

Niall never acknowledged the other vampires, only Eric. "I asked you a question, Eric Northman. Is it true you have no bond with my great-granddaughter?"

Eric tensed. "I—"

"Do I have to remind you of the blood oath you entered with me, Viking? You promised to protect my great-granddaughter and bind yourself to her. Have you changed your mind and are now leaving her unprotected?"

"Prince, I would never leave Sookie unprotected. My word still stands. Not one day has passed in which I have not ensured your great-granddaughter's safety," Eric said.

"Yet, it has come to my attention that you have not taken to the oath as seriously as you led me to believe. I thought I made it clear: my great-granddaughter would be the _only one_ with whom you could _bind_ yourself to." From Niall's words, it was clear Eric's infidelity was not part of whatever undisclosed arrangement they had made between each other.

Eric had no expression on his face, but remained silent.

"Prince," Pam spoke respectfully. "Just a few moments ago, My Master and I swore fealty to your great-granddaughter."

"Is this true, Child?" Niall asked Sookie, knowing exactly what had just transpired.

"Yes, it's true. He even got on one knee." Sookie felt her cheeks redden. .

Victor laughed. "It's like you said, Sookie. Words get lost in the wind. Eric Northman will _never_ remain faithful to you. How could he? He beds three women every night! How could you be so stupid as to think he'd give that up for you?"

A collective gasp, then a sudden silence fell throughout the group as all eyes became transfixed on Sookie's stunned face, waiting to see how she would react.

"W-w-well, I guess both of us have trouble in that department." Sookie quickly hid the emotion from her face. "I myself, have been with three different men today as well." In her mind, Sookie thought this would make Eric look better, but somehow she wasn't so sure after she said it. Her comment raised a few eyebrows and other parts of the anatomy, as some vampires ran their fangs down with her inflammatory words.

"Child, if you and Eric Northman do not wish to be in this bond, I will see to your protection personally. I will take you to live in the Fairy Realm, where you will be safe from anyone who wishes to enslave you against your will. Would you agree to this?"

Sookie's thoughts reeled out of control. _What the fuck? Three women? How's that even possible? Motherfucker!_ She gulped, not knowing what she was going to do. _What if that scum bucket's right? How can _I_ ever satisfy Eric? Last time I looked, there's only one of me and there's no way I'm sharing him. If I agree to this bond, how long will it be before he gets bored with me? How long can I keep him by my side?_

"Child, I await your response…"

"I'm sorry, Great-Grandfather. I . . . I was . . . what did you say again?"

"If you so wish, I will take you to the Fairy Realm where I may better protect you."

Sookie sighed. "Yes, Great-Grandfather. Perhaps that's the best solution. Although I would miss everyone terribly, it would avoid unnecessary bloodshed." Sookie tried her best to sound practical, but her heart broke with every word she uttered. _Maybe that's why there's been so many rumors saying Eric's never gotten serious with anyone. And I thought I could change him? What an idiot._

"Absolutely not," Eric stated. "Sookie, you cannot leave me."

Sookie held back her tears. "Eric, you have to stay faithful to me—I mean we have to stay faithful to each other. What if you . . . uh _we_ can't do that?" Both Sookie and Eric knew the only reason Sookie had been with Sam and Bill was because of Eric's erotic messages through the bond, but Sookie was trying to take ammunition away from Victor and company, who seemed adamant in throwing Eric's infidelity in her face.

"I can and I will. I have sworn my devotion to you, and to you only. I am a man of my word." Eric looked at her, then at the Prince. "This I have vowed, and this I swear to honor, Prince."

"Words, words, words!" Victor yelled.

Niall ignored him. "Then you must complete the bonding process properly to convince me of your sincere vows. Otherwise, you leave me no choice but to take my great-granddaughter from this realm."

Eric nodded.

"Child, ask Eric if he will honor his word to you. He will speak the truth to you," Niall said.

"All right." Sookie got in front of Eric and looked up into his eyes. "Eric, will you honor your word and remain faithful to me from this day forward?" Sookie suddenly wished she had the gift of teleportation in case Eric answered, no.

"Yes, I will honor my word to you, Sookie, and I will remain forever faithful to you, Dear One," Eric answered. "There is no other woman I desire."

_Sweet Shepherd, could it be true? Would my love be enough to satisfy him and keep him happy? Could he love only me?_

Niall nodded and held Sookie's hand. "Child, earlier today I had Claudine give you a gel to put on your body. In essence, this gel is much like a truth serum to vampires. Once they inhale the scent, a soothing sensation overcomes them, and they are compelled to tell the truth when asked a question. Now I am certain Eric Northman is being honest, and will honor his bond to you. Will you do the same and honor your bond to him?"

_So that's why everyone's being so freaking honest! I better remember to get that bottle from the bathroom, because having that gel has really come in handy. No wonder I had the urge to go to the bathroom after Eric was shot. It had to be Niall's magic compelling me. _"Yes, I will," Sookie replied. "I promise to honor my bond with Eric."

The vampires all seemed to be taken aback. _Truth serum for vampires?_ This new revelation did not bode well for them.

"Then proceed and reinforce your bond right now," Niall said.

"What? Right here; in front of everyone?" Sookie tried to calm the panic apparent in her voice. _You're joking, right?_

"There is no time like the present, Child."

"Hey, Sookie, remember when you went to the Were Packmaster Ceremony I invited you to?" Alcide asked. "We could be your witnesses to the blood exchange and you yielding to Eric. The bond would be iron clad, and these fools won't ever try to kill Eric or take you as their pet."

"Alcide, this is not just a simple blood or word exchange, I have to _physically_ yield to Eric."

"So, just yield to him, Sookie," Calvin added in.

"No, I have to like _yield_ . . . yield." There were still a few confused faces, so in order to simplify matters, Sookie made a lewd gesture with her fingers indicating she would have to have sex with Eric in order to complete the bond.

"Oh is that it? Well just do it, then," Alcide insisted. "It's not like it's something we all haven't seen before. We've all been to mating ceremonies. Unless you don't want to be bonded to Eric and you're just looking for an excuse out of the bond."

"No, it's not that." Sookie was blushing and deeply embarrassed.

"I for one do not have a problem with a public ceremony, my Lover," Eric related.

Sookie rolled her eyes upward. _Of course you wouldn't! Sweet Shepherd of Judea, can I really do this? In front of everybody?_ She had to admit Alcide was right. She needed witnesses so no one would doubt the bond between her and Eric ever again. _Oh Good God, am I really going through with this?_

Sam changed back from being a bear, as he noticed all the vampires had pulled their fangs in when the fairies came on the scene.

"Are we fighting, or what are we doing?" Sam asked.

"Great-Granddaughter, I will take my leave so you will be more comfortable."

_Yeah, like that's the only thing holding me back! I can't believe I went to you for help so I could be together with Eric, and this is what you come up with for a solution? Public Sex? Jeez! I could've done that myself instead of waiting around for three weeks! _

Niall furrowed his brow.

Sookie took a deep breath._ I'm sorry. I know you're hearing me and I must sound like a brat right now. I know you came through me. Without your interference tonight, I doubt Eric would have publicly pledged his devotion to me._ "Thank you." Sookie embraced her great–grandfather.

Niall kissed Sookie on the forehead, and the fairies left just as quickly as they had arrived.

Alcide quickly set things in motion. "In our Were mating ceremonies, we usually place a red blanket on a raised platform." Alcide roamed his eyes around. "I don't suppose you have a red blanket—to make it more official?"

Pam suddenly understood Eric's unnerving behavior and couldn't help hiding the evil grin that splashed itself on her face. _How could I have doubted my master? So, he struck a deal with the Fae Prince, did he? Of course, that's why he pledged himself to the telepath. Eric putting Eric first. And here I thought he might care for her. _Pam chuckled and neared the group, "Well, we have a red Corvette. It could serve as the red blanket and as a raised platform of sorts."

"It'll have to do," Alcide said.

Pam put her sword down for a moment and walked over to Sookie. She reached into her outfit and brought out a powdered makeup case. She began working on Sookie's face as it was blotchy from all the crying she had been doing.

Sookie was a bit startled with the vampiress' gesture. "Thanks, Pam."

Pam could sense Sookie's nervousness as she saw her trembling hands and skittish demeanor. The vampiress was having none of it. If her Master needed to bind himself to Sookie to remain alive–she would hold the telepath down herself. "There all done. Your hair is perfect, Sookie. Look at me," she said, holding on to her shoulders. "You can do this, Sookie, I know you can. Just pretend you are alone with him."

"Pam, I . . . I . . . "

"Do you wish Eric to die?"

"No, of course not" Sookie grimaced as Pam's grip tightened on her shoulders.

"If you leave this realm, then that will surely be my Master's fate. Don't you see that? He cannot _live_ without you." Pam winked at the telepath, letting go of her shoulders to put her makeup case back inside her garments.

"Okay," Sookie replied.

"I know you can do it, Sookie. Surely, you don't want to leave my Master now after he's pledged his devotion to you. Be reasonable; what other choice do you have?" Pam gave her a quick hug and picked up her sword again.

Sookie crossed her arms in front of her, rubbing her shoulders after Pam's rough pep talk. Pam was wrong, there were other choices she could contemplate: two in fact. One was to leave the realm and go with her Niall, the second was to submit to Felipe de Castro.

Sookie knew if she went with her first choice, she would never be able to forgive herself. Choosing to leave Eric would be just the same as condemning herself to a miserable fate, since she couldn't be without him. The past three lonely weeks had shown her that. The second choice wasn't even an option. She would never belong to Felipe or anyone else.

Sookie started shaking, contemplating the only option her heart told her was right. Gathering up her courage, she made her way towards the Corvette, stopping at the front bumper with her back to the crowd. She unzipped Eric's jacket and made her choice.

She chose Eric. In the end, she would always choose him. She knew he would always be there for her, and now she had to step up to the plate and be there for him.

Sookie was glad she still had her red apron on. At least one of her areas was going to be partially covered, and right now, it was covering her butt. She adjusted the strings on her waist and took a deep breath. She was ready.

With her heart pounding as if it would come out her ears, she took off Eric's jacket and let it fall to the ground. Her body was shimmering from Claudine's gel, and the visual of the red apron on her backside was extremely enticing to the vampires in attendance.

She kept her gaze on the ground, because she didn't want to look anyone in the face and catch a look of desire directed at her from her friends, after all, Calvin and Alcide had been interested in her at one point. She turned around, facing the crowd.

Eric took an unnecessary breath. _How appropriate_. Her apron's red bow hung just above her golden curls. _She truly is a prize worth dying for_.

Sookie sucked in her breath and moved the rectangular apron forward to cover her sex. Picking up Eric's jacket, she placed it on the Corvette's hood and sat on it.

She debated whether to take off her shoes or not, because she didn't want to scratch the paint of the car, but then she remembered the car belonged to Eric Northman. Surely, he can afford to fix a few scratches on his hood.

She slid up the car, taking the jacket with her, until her back was resting on the windshield. By now, her nerves were at an all-time high, Her breathing had increased and her heart was racing. She searched the feet on the ground and found where Eric was standing. She placed her hands on the red apron that barely covered her.

Spreading her legs, she placed her arms above her head, and took a deep breath. Her gaze then moved from Eric's feet up to his face.

Eric's fangs never clicked down faster. The visual of seeing Sookie's beautiful face, the blonde ringlets of her hair cascading down over her shoulders and creamy skin, her breasts moving up and down as she breathed in heavily, the red fabric between her spread legs, and the high-heels on top of the red Corvette was driving him insane.

As Sookie stared at Eric, the audacious Viking began unbuttoning his pants, and without a moment's hesitation, slid them off. He paused for a moment, letting her take him in visually as well. Sookie fluttered her eyes. Eric was already ready for her, and she was having trouble breathing at seeing him aroused so soon.

Sookie's heady gaze traveled over Eric's body. His pale skin glistened in the moonlight and his chiseled abs begged to be touched. She wished she could tell him to turn around so she could look at his ass, but thought better of it.

Like a domino effect, the silence of the night was interrupted by the sound of forty-one vampires running their fangs down as the vision in front of them, mixed with Sookie's enticing and alluring scent, overloaded their senses.

In the loudest voice Sookie could muster she yelled, "I, Sookie Stackhouse, yield to you, Eric Northman!"

Eric turned his head to the left, his fangs glistening in the night, and projected his voice loudly behind him. "And I, Eric Northman accept!" Eric began walking towards Sookie, her legs instinctively opening wider for him. He smiled at the control he wielded over her body and reveled in seeing her nipples hardening, begging for his touch. Her arousal scent intensified, calling out to him,beckoning him to claim her.

"Stop them!" Victor yelled. "Kill anyone who stands in your way. They must not finalize their bond!"

* * *

**A/N:** Whew! This was such a long and emotional chapter. I was actually getting teary eyed during some parts. Like when Sookie realized she wasn't alone and actually had affected people's lives and mattered to so many. *sniff sniff* And when Eric got down on one knee, I lost it! *sobs*

I totally left out Jason from Sookie's loved one's list because you can't have sex with your brother looking on—hello! (Although how the Weres do that, I'll never know.) Also, the forty-one vampires were the thirty-five fighters, and the three Nevada vamps plus Eric, Pam, and Bill. [We can safely assume Sandy went ahead and pulled her fangs down in reaction to the mood around her, and not necessarily because she was attracted to Sookie.] ;)

Thank you so much to all who have been so kind as to leave a review. Thanks for showing you care!


	12. The Ceremonial Ward

**Disclaimer:** The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

"Stop them!" Victor yelled. "Kill anyone who stands in your way. They must not finalize their bond!"

De Castro's six vampires picked up their swords and took a fighting stance. Bill, Pam, and Sam, along with seven of Alcide's Weres who transformed, prepared themselves as well. They took their fighting positions behind the two vampires of Area Five.

Alcide, Calvin, and the remaining shifters and Weres, made a half circle around the red Corvette, to protect Eric and Sookie and serve as witnesses to their union.

With his back to the crowd, Eric swiftly made his way over to Sookie, getting as many leers as she was from the gathered Were women who contemplated his backside.

"Move; get out of the way! Get out of the way!" Amelia had arrived at Merlotte's, along with Tray, and she was having trouble maneuvering around the grouped shifters and Weres. "Sookie, don't worry. I'm here. What a night, right? I can't believe the Burger Basket special is over!"

"Amelia, what the _hell_ are you doing here?" Sookie broke her gaze from Eric's frame.

"Well, on our way here, Tray got word from Alcide that you were in trouble, and I insisted on tagging along for the ride. No need to explain anything, Sooks, I heard every word of what's going on here."

Sookie closed her legs at seeing her roommate come towards her, hoping she wouldn't die from sheer embarrassment.

"Let me do a Protection Ward Spell to keep any intruders away and keep you guys safe until _the deed_ is done. Holy fucking shit!" Amelia gasped and had to steady herself on Tray, when she saw Eric before her in all his naked glory. "What the fuck? No wonder you scream and moan at night when you have dreams of Eric! Damn, Eric! You should be required to carry a permit to operate that piece of heavy machinery. Good God!" Amelia gasped.

Eric grinned from ear to ear.

"Amelia!" Sookie yelled.

The inattentive witch didn't answer. She continued to stare at Eric and wished she'd brought a camera.

"Amelia!" Sookie looked around for something nearby to hurl at her roommate, and eyed the knife beside her pensively.

"What? Huh? Oh yes, the wards. Don't mind me, go ahead. Oh please, go ahead!" Amelia covered her mouth and then whispered, "Pretend I'm not here."

The irksome witch gave Sookie a thumbs up and turned to start her magic, when Eric's cock caught her eye again. Amelia stopped her movements—freezing in her position—and gaped at Eric. Tray shook her out of her trance. She laughed nervously, quickly busying herself to make the protection ward around the two lovers.

Sookie covered her face in embarrassment and looked over at Eric, who was now standing between her legs. "Eric, I can't do this. I'm sorry; this just goes against everything I've ever been taught. I just can't . . . " She covered her breasts with her hands and tried to get the jacket she was sitting on out from under her.

Eric grabbed onto her now lowered legs, sliding her down from the windshield. "Lover, are you saying you do not want to be bonded to me?"

Sookie gave out a small gasp of surprise from the sudden movement. "No, Eric, it's not that. I do. It's just that . . . " Her eyes traveled down his frame, her body screaming at her to shut up and take him.

"There is no one here, Lover," Eric whispered in her ear. "No one but us," he murmured, his words reverberating straight to her slick center.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

Bill and Pam struck the first blow against the Nevada vampires, and the rest of the shifters and Weres waited in anticipation for their turn in the battle behind them.

Sam wanted to join the fight as soon as possible, not knowing if he would be able to handle seeing Sookie with another man. He was grateful to have his back to the ceremony and realized Sookie must truly love Eric if she would undergo this to be with him. Letting her go from his heart, he concentrated on the fight before him.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

Amid all the sword clanging, Sookie's heart started beating as fast as a rabbit in flight. She just couldn't do it. _Never mind the public humiliation, but how will I ever satisfy Eric's appetite for three women at once? Perhaps I should take Niall's offer and leave this realm. Maybe one day, I'll forget Eric . . ._

Not letting her dwell in her thoughts, Eric lifted Sookie's legs, bending them open, and scooted her to edge of the Corvette.

"Eric! What are you doing?"

Eric knelt down and showing incredible restraint, pulled his fangs in. Without a word, he buried his hungry mouth in Sookie's heated center, making the blonde beauty gasp in surprise.

"Eric, oh, my God!" Sookie bit her lip as she felt Eric's tongue flick in and out of her at vampire speed, then slow, then fast again. _Oh, it feels divine_! Eric continued, and she reached her hands up behind his head, running them through his golden mane. She wished she could bury his face in her sex, but out of embarrassment, she covered her breasts with them instead.

"Please, Eric . . . " she whispered, swaying her hips towards him, widening her legs, unsure if she was begging him to stop or continue.

Eric's tongue worked its magic on her, and Sookie started loosening up. Eric didn't want to proceed unless he knew Sookie was ready, so he pulled back from her dripping sex to gauge her reaction.

"No, Eric! Don't stop . . . please . . . " Sookie gasped. She shut her eyes and collapsed back on the hood of the Corvette, widening her legs, begging him to continue.

_My Lover, always ready for me_. He flashed a grin, and licked his lips. He stood up and inserted his long, cool finger into Sookie's hot, moistened sex. The welcome chill of his finger coursed through her body, making her shiver as she bucked her hips eagerly, yearning for his touch.

Amelia spoke to her friend, "Sookie, I'm done. Invite Eric into the protective ward, before I seal you inside."

"Eric," Sookie panted, her eyes still shut.

"Yes, my Lover." Eric lay down next to her on the car's hood.

"I invite you in," Sookie managed to pant out, hiding her head in his chest.

"I'm already inside, Dear One." Eric stirred his finger within her.

"Eric!"

"Northman!" Alcide yelled. "We don't have time for that, vampire! This is a mating ceremony, not a porn set."

"I am aware of that, Alcide, but I must have proper lubrication . . . "

_Shit! Sookie's gonna need a whole truck load of lube to prep for that!_ Amelia shook her head and pushed her way through the crowd, looking for a good vantage point where she could stand and _witness_ the ceremony. As she stood front center, she made sure the protective ward was sound and that it encased Eric, Sookie, and the Corvette in an impenetrable invisible bubble.

"Eric!" Both Sookie and Alcide shouted at the same time.

"I will try to hurry, Alcide. I am conscious of the matter at hand." Eric inserted another finger inside Sookie, moving them quickly inside her. She quickly opened her eyes and moaned in pleasure.

To demonstrate why he was preparing Sookie, he stood up and turned his body sideways, showing himself to everyone presently around him.

Upon seeing his size and girth, all the women present gasped, and one female Were actually fainted.

Calvin shouted, "Goddamn!"

Alcide widened his eyes.

Others who were not able to see, moved to the left, so they could get a view of what had gotten everyone so excited.

"Huh? What did I tell ya, sister?" Amelia asked, smacking a Were standing by her on the shoulder. "Hey, is anyone gonna help that girl up?" Amelia pointed to a female Were down on the ground.

Several Weres rushed to their pack member's side. "Wilhemina, are you okay?" they asked as they helped her up.

Wilhemina nodded and they supported her up and continued to watch the ceremony.

Eric lay down next to his bonded, embracing her with his free arm, and memorized each of her facial expressions while he looked at her. He took hold of her clit, caressing the hardened nub, working her into a frenzy.

Closing her eyes again, Sookie began to caress her breasts, kneading them and urgently tugging at her nipples, while Eric drove her into total abandon. She thrust her hips wildly, begging him with her body to slide his fingers deeper into her.

_My exquisite Lover_. Eric's dick twitched, seeing Sookie's overflowing lust for him. _I will make sure to quench your thirst for me from this day forward, darling. This I have vowed, and this I will honor. I've been such a fool. How could I think being with anyone else would compare to this? To you? _

The Weres began to move around restlessly at seeing this, since it was unlike any mating ceremony they had ever witnessed.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

Deep in the heat of battle, Pam had already managed to kill one vampire, while Bill was about to kill another.

Meanwhile, hearing Sookie's moans of pleasure behind him was driving Sam insane. He stepped into the fight by swiping his claw at a vampire who was trying to get behind Pam, easily severing his head with his massive claw.

Seeing his group of fighters dwindle before him, Victor turned to Felipe for guidance.

Felipe refused to look at Victor in the eye. "It seems you are the one in charge tonight, Victor. Proceed with _your_ plan."

"But Your Majesty . . . " Victor inclined his head to his liege.

"So now you wish for me to speak? After you have been speaking for me all night?"

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I did not wish for you to waste your precious words on such rabble. I only meant to serve you."

"It seems you have been doing much of that lately—not to mention pocketing the tributes—in my name, no less." Felipe glared at the pathetic excuse of a vampire before him, waiting on his response.

"Your Majesty, who is spreading such lies? I—"

"Save your excuses, Madden. I've allowed you to live simply because you promised you could deliver me the telepath. So listen to my decree. Lose this battle and forfeit your life." Felipe had reached his breaking point with the rogue vampire. He was glad he finally had the perfect excuse to rid himself of the troublesome fool.

"Then to show my innocence, I will not fail you, my King." Victor prepared to dispatch more vampires into the fight. _Fuck! This is not going to be as easy as I thought_. _I guess I have to speed my plans up._

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

Eric teasingly traced his wet tongue on Sookie's mouth. Tasting herself on his cool lips, Sookie threw her arms around his neck and returned his kiss, while thrusting her hips in response to his experienced fingers. When he put his thumb on her nub, Sookie immediately felt the familiar pleasure building inside her.

Eric left a trail of kisses from her tantalizing mouth to her neck, not stopping until he reached her succulent breasts. He ran his fangs down and scraped them across her nipples, lightly drawing some blood.

"Eric!" Sookie cried, as his actions were taking her to the brink.

He shifted his body to the left, to get better access to her enticing breasts, and the spectator crowd moved to the right, so they could get a better view of what he was doing. He found it amusing that some Weres even started pushing each other to get to the front of the crowd.

"Eric!" Sookie was about to reach her release and Eric quickened the pace of his fingers.

"Look at me, Lover," Eric commanded his bonded.

The whole crowd, as well as Sookie, obeyed.

Sookie's eyes fluttered open. She climaxed and screamed, her whole body shuddering violently.

Eric quickly kissed her plump lips and stood up, removing his fingers from inside her. With Sookie still on the Corvette, riding her orgasm, he lifted the car. He made sure it was within the confines of the ward, and turned it sideways, to allow the crowd a better view of the mating ceremony.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

The sudden movement behind her caught Pam's attention. As she severed a vampire's head with her sword, she shook her head in disbelief at seeing her Master move his car to allow the crowd a better view of his sexual prowess. She was right. He really was a showoff.

A sword flew by her head and she was pushed to ground, right before the blade made contact with her skin.

"Keep your head in the fight!" Bill yelled at her. "I won't save you next time."

Not waiting for her reply, Bill attacked the wave of fighting vampires along with Sam, both fighting with increased fervor.

_What's their problem?_ She got up off the floor and continued to fight. _Don't they know they'll have their turn again with her, after Eric's had his fun and fucked her out of his system?_

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

As Sookie started coming down from her high, Eric spread her legs and traced her sex with his cool hardness. Sookie found the sensation exhilarating, and quickly wrapped her legs around Eric's hips.

Sookie and the whole crowd, gasped in unison as he slowly inched his way inside her, stretching her to accommodate his size. Sookie found the Viking's slow pace torturous, and dug her heels into his back, thrusting him forward, plunging him into her wetness.

"Sookie!" Eric hissed, his fangs running down from her lack of restraint.

"Eric!" Sookie moaned as she bucked her hips towards him, her facial expressions showing how glorious it felt to have him inside her.

As the witnesses looked at the hedonistic display before them, the same female Were fainted, but since the crowd was so engrossed in the ceremony, no one had the presence of mind to help her to her feet this time.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

Pam, Sam, and Bill put up a united front and quickly killed the rest of the vampires in the first original group of six. Victor took the Dumpster and stood on it, allowing him a better view of Sookie and Eric who were blocked by the wall of Shifters and Weres circled around them.

"He is already in her. Attack!" Victor ordered.

Ten Nevada Vampires quickly heeded Victor's call, and several transformed Weres joined in with the three fighters, to match the odds a bit. In a sudden burst, the battle continued, engulfing the night air with sounds of clanging swords, snarls, and roars.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

In the current position they found themselves in, Eric couldn't view one of his bonded's precious assets adequately: her breasts. Even though he realized they were in a delicate situation, he couldn't resist the urge to see them sway above him before he sunk his fangs into the scrumptious orbs.

In the blink of an eye, he switched positions with Sookie, and ended up with his back on the Corvette's windshield, his bonded above him. Sookie kneeled on the hood as Eric cupped her ass with his hands, pulling her hips towards him. The red apron began to get in their way and Eric pulled on its bow to make it come loose. He set it aside, mentally telling himself they would use it again in the future.

Eric frenziedly slid Sookie up and down on his erection, hitting her clit as he thrust up. Her breasts bounced deliciously up and down and the men in the crowd greatly appreciated the new position.

Sookie leaned forward, placing the palms of her hands on his chest, widening her legs as she met Eric's thrusts with her hips. She set the pace of their lovemaking and Eric moaned at seeing just how much the stubborn telepath enjoyed being his. The Viking brought his hands to her round bottom, and fought the urge to spank it, settling for squeezing it instead. Sookie moaned above him, losing herself in the moment.

Unable to resist any longer, Eric brought his eager lips to her pebbled tips and flicked at them with his mischievous tongue. He circled her rigid nipples, his fangs scraping her soft skin.

"Bite me, Eric! Please . . . "

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

As the battle between The Nevada Vampires and the defenders of Area Five escalated, one female Were was injured, but she was quickly recovered from the battlefield before she was killed. The Nevada side had not been so lucky. They had already lost three vampires.

Bill was cut across the face, but had already healed. With his newfound strength, thanks to the vampire blood, Sam was a regular killing machine, mauling and beheading any enemy that dared to come too close. The Nevada Vampires tried their super speed on him, but he only needed to punch them once with his brute strength to bring them down. Pam was on a rampage and screamed her battle cry, "Sapphire dress!" Pretty soon, the ten Nevada vampires became two.

Victor quickly dispatched more vampires into the fight. He saw Eric and Sookie were almost at the point of release, due to their frenzied pace. He knew he was running out of time and his Sheriff position was about to slip from his fingers. Since he hadn't counted on Eric getting help from anyone, he regrettably never formulated an exit plan. He quickly thought of a solution to remedy this and called Sandy over to him. _Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to have an ace up my sleeve_.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

Eric gave into his bonded's pleas and drove his fangs into her closest breast, deeply drawing her sweet blood from it.

"Eric!" Sookie cried, as her walls began to tighten and squeeze around him. Feeling her so close to her climax, he quickly sealed the small wounds on her breast and lifted his bonded up, holding her close to him. Just as quickly, he sat on the hood of the car, crossing his legs together. He wrapped her legs around his waist and continued to thrust into her, moving in unison with her hips.

"Faster, Eric! Harder!" she begged.

Eric swiftly complied, quickening the pace of his thrusts, and they both began to moan as they fully gave into their passion. The lovers locked eyes, consumed with each other's look of pleasure. It wasn't long before Sookie began to feel the familiar warmth ache for release within her.

Eric nuzzled and licked her neck, marking where he would place his impending bite. He noticed the knife, which had been used on him earlier, had been left on the Corvette. He took hold of it. "Come for me, my Lover. Come for me." Eric pulled Sookie down onto him, filling her to the hilt. He moved his hips in a circular motion; his movements slow at first, then faster as he thrust into her mercilessly. Alternating between the different movement and speeds, Sookie's eyes quickly rolled back in ecstasy.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

It seemed Victor saved the best of his fighters for last, because the new group of Nevada Vampires he sent to fight were tougher than their predecessors. More Weres and Shifters were critically injured in the battle, but luckily, the only deaths were coming from Victor's camp.

As more of his soldiers fell at the hands of Pam, Bill, Sam and the alternating Weres, Victor dispatched the rest of the vamps, leaving only himself and Felipe away from the battlefield. Victor began to worry, but remembered he still held the upper hand in the game. He thought of Sandy and the very special delivery he'd entrusted her with.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

"Eric!" Sookie cried as her body began to tremble.

"Sookie!" Eric yelled as her walls gripped him like a vice. In vampire speed, he picked up the knife, made a small cut on the left side of his neck, pushed Sookie's lips on it, and he plunged his fangs into Sookie's neck.

Sookie's orgasm ripped through her body, sending galvanic shivers down her spine. Eric dug his fingers in her back and delivered a final thrust, releasing deep inside her, his body trembling as she milked him of every last drop. She placed her arms on Eric's biceps and they drank from each other. Their bodies jerked and shook as they rode the aftershocks of their orgasm.

Eric rode his high, reveling in his bonded's sweet blood: the precise, flawless mixture between human and Fae. Sookie likewise savored Eric's rich, thick blood as it flowed like honey to the back of her throat. They could both feel the magic between them intensify, inflaming their desire and hunger for one another. Eric cursed the fact he could not continue their lovemaking.

He fought the urge to drain her and began licking her neck to seal his bite marks. Sookie moaned, saddened his wound had healed and she could no longer drink from him. Eric pulled her back as she licked his neck clean and they kissed briefly, because Eric knew if he lingered, he would not be able to tear himself away from her.

"My Lover," Eric whispered into her ear. "We are now one."

Sookie smiled. Breathless and spent, she reluctantly moved from him as he briefly buried his head in between her breasts. Eric unwillingly pulled out of her, his length sated for the time being. As he sat up on the car, he caressed her breasts lightly, and his cock quickly came back to life, ready once more to claim his bonded.

Eric gathered his jacket and covered Sookie with it. He left her leaning against the windshield of the Corvette and kissed her softly on the lips before he slid off the car. She fought the urge to hold on to him as his blood had strengthened her, and she, too, was ready for round two. Knowing they would have plenty of time to be together now, Sookie let him go, taking a moment to issue a silent prayer of thanks for the perfect bliss her Viking had just given her.

"My Lover, promise me you will not move from here. Your witch friend has placed a ward around the Corvette and you are safe here."

"I promise," Sookie responded without protest.

"Hmm . . . " Eric hummed in her ear as he bent down toward her. "Must I fuck you senseless in order for you to be so compliant, my Lover?"

"Always," Sookie responded. _I love you, Eric_. She wished he could hear her, as he looked at her so lovingly.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

Behind the lovers, a free-for-all ensued. Victor sent in all the remaining Nevada vampires he had with him into the fight. Out of his original thirty-five fighters, only ten remained.

There were ruthless and injured Sam by striking him through the leg. He was quickly tended to by the Shreveport Weres. This left only Bill and Pam still at the forefront, supported by the ranks of alternating Weres and Shifters who fought alongside them.

Everyone stopped fighting as Eric's voice towered over everyone. "Victor, it is done! Sookie and I have finalized our Blood Bond. She is mine. Cease your claim on her."

"And who testifies to your union? We could not get a clear view from the crowd you gathered around you. We cannot testify to your bond. Our claim to Sookie still stands," Victor stated.

Eric got the feeling Victor was trying to buy some time, though he failed to know the reason why since Victor, like everyone present, could smell the consummation of their union.

Eric called out to the surrounding Were and Shifters, "Who here witnessed my bonding to Sookie Stackhouse? Speak clear!"

Alcide spoke first, "Are you sure you are done, Eric? I'm pretty sure there were a few positions of the Kama Sutra you forgot to try."

Eric snickered. "Well, you did ask me to hurry. So for now, yes I am done, but not sated. With Sookie once is never enough."

"Ditto," Sookie replied.

Eric furrowed his brow, unsure what she meant since he wasn't familiar with the term.

Alcide called out, "All right, then. I, Alcide Herveaux, Leader of Shreveport Weres, am witness to the union between Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse."

"And, I, Calvin Norris, Leader of the Hot Shot Werepanthers, also witnessed the union between Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse."

As each witness took their turn and testified to the union, Eric put his clothes on, except for a shirt, and Sookie covered herself up with Eric's jacket, quickly zipping it up. Obediently, she stayed on the Corvette as Eric had told her.

When the last witness spoke, Eric told Victor, "I have all these witnesses who testify to my union with Sookie. As per our agreement to offer her protection, I personally will guarantee her safekeeping. Cease your claim on my bonded, or I will personally dispatch you from this world."

"Yes, you are right, Eric. I think it's about time I made a swift departure. Come, Sookie, it's time to go." Victor, who was still standing on the Dumpster motioned over to Sookie who was sitting on the Corvette.

"You have failed me, Victor," Felipe said.

"Not at all, Your Majesty."

"Are you not seeing what's in front of you? Have you gone mad?" Felipe de Castro asked.

"Mad? On the contrary, Your Majesty. You see, it seems I have the upper hand. I always do. Come, Sookie, it's time to go."

Felipe De Castro came forward. "Sheriff Northman, in light of the fact that you have finalized your bond with Miss Stackhouse, and promise to abide by it, I cease my claim to your bonded."

"You dare betray _me_?" Victor screamed vehemently at his king. "The fight is not over until _I_ say it is."

"You have failed me for the last time, Madden," Felipe responded. "You stated Eric Northman would be defeated easily, yet this was not the case. You stated he was alone and had no allies, and yet tonight, ally after ally has come to his aid. Your foolish actions could have even led to a war with the Fae–another piece of information you failed to secure for me. The fight is lost and per my decree your life is now forfeit. Sheriff Northman . . . "

"Yes, Your Majesty," Eric responded.

"Accept my apologies for tonight's events. Either you can deal with Victor's treachery or we can take care of the matter ourselves. The choice is yours by right."

"I choose to deal with it, Your Majesty. Thank you for so kind a gesture."

"No one is going to _deal _with me, you fools! Sandy, come out! Sookie, come over to me, I have someone who wants to say hello to you."

Sookie did not step off the car, but stood on top of it so she could get a better view of what Victor was talking about. As everyone directed their gaze to the left, Sandy came out carrying a man with a black rag covering his head.

Sandy threw the man on the ground, removing the rag from his head.

Jason Stackhouse, Sookie's brother, was the wretched creature Sandy held as her prisoner. He was unconscious and Sandy held him to her, putting a knife to his throat.

"Oh, my God, no!" Sookie yelled. "Let him go! Eric, please help my brother!"

"Stop this, Victor. End your existence with some dignity." Felipe motioned for his remaining vampires to take hold of Victor.

"Touch me and the human dies!" Victor shouted. "Everyone stay back!"

"Eric, please!" Sookie pleaded.

"He can't help your brother, Sookie dear. No one can! Your brother will be dead before anyone can get to him. Tell me witch, how does the protection spell you set up around Sookie work?" Victor came unhinged as he moved away from Felipe and slithered towards Sandy.

Amelia remained silent, and Sandy responded by slicing Jason's face.

"Please, Amelia! Please tell him!" Sookie pleaded, as she started to cry.

"When I set the protection ward, I specifically set it up so only Sookie has the power to invite who can enter it," Amelia explained in a low voice.

"Sookie, rescind Eric's invitation and then invite me in. Do this or your brother dies," Victor threatened.

Sookie gasped in horror, not knowing what she should do. _How could this happen? This was my night. Everything was going so perfectly. I thought this nightmare was finally coming to an end._

"Don't say anything, Sookie," Eric warned her.

"Sandy!" Victor yelled.

Sandy cut another gash on the opposite side of Jason's face.

"Eric!" Sookie yelled. "Please, Eric! Please help me save my brother."

"My duty is to protect you, Sookie, not your brother. You are too valuable to me, and I will not act in a manner that will put your life at risk. I regret I cannot help him."

Sookie could not let her brother die. If Eric would not help her, she had to find the way to help him. _Shepherd of Judea please give me strength. _ "Eric Northman, I rescind your invitation into the ward. Victor Madden, I invite you in," Sookie said.

"No!" Eric shouted as Victor rushed into the protective ward with Sookie. Eric gave chase, but only caught onto Victor's shirt, which ripped off in his hand.

Victor entered the ward and took his place next to Sookie, standing on top of the Corvette. In an instant, he slid Sookie off the car and lifted it off the ground. Tilting the vehicle sideways, he threw it at Eric's head like a football.

"No!" Sookie screamed.

Eric was too quick, and the Corvette shot straight up, avoiding him. Another one of De Castro's vampires was not so lucky and ended up being pinned under it.

"I've always hated that fucking car. Finally, I got rid of the hideous thing!" Victor yelled out, eyeing the blonde beauty standing next to him on the graveled ground. Viciously and without warning, he tore off Sookie's jacket and bit into her breast.

Sookie screamed in pain.

Eric moved into the open space, but ended up being repelled back as the ward would not let him in. He stood up from the ground and advanced towards them again, this time using his sword to whack at Victor, only to find the cold steel would not penetrate the ward either. Eric stood by, completely powerless.

"You are delicious, my dear!" Victor leered at Sookie's naked body as he licked his bloodstained teeth. He let go of her.

Sookie held onto her breast in pain, sliding down to her knees. "I've done what you wanted. Please, let my brother go."

"I have no intention of letting your brother go. Not until I drain you and make you my child." Victor laughed. "But first, I want to have a little fun with you." Victor stroked her chin and licked his lips.

Sookie abruptly pushed his hand away.

Victor moved quickly, held her by the hair, and slapped her hard across the face. "You will _obey _me!"

Sookie screamed.

He fisted her hair tighter and knelt down next to her. Placing his free hand on her waist, he arched her body to his and brutally sank his teeth in her other breast, drinking deeply from it as well.

Sookie cried in pain.

"Witch! Tell me how to take the cursed ward off!" Eric yelled at Amelia.

"I can't," Amelia said. "Only Sookie can invite and rescind the invitations. I can't even remove it without her permission."

"Stop! Please stop, Victor!" Sookie pleaded while Victor drew greedily from her breast.

Victor unlatched from her and twitched his body as if he was high on a drug. "Oh you are so delicious! So fucking delicious, indeed!"

"I thought I was intended for the king," Sookie managed to say between sobs, holding her breasts from his savage attacks.

"Of course not, my dear. I was going to kill Felipe the first chance I got. It is with me that you belong with. Only with me."

"Sookie, invite me in! I will kill the bastard where he stands! Sookie!" Eric yelled desperately.

"It's too late, Northman. She is mine!" Victor laid Sookie on the ground and spread her legs, sticking a finger into her folds. "Oh, you are still wet, my dear."

Sookie moved her head sideways, not wanting to see what he was doing.

Victor took his finger out and brought it to his lips. He tasted her juices and began to shudder. "Everything about you is so fucking delicious! We are going to have so much fun."

Seething with rage, Eric cursed in his native tongue, whacking at the ward with everything he had. Unable to shield herself from his distress, Pam came rushing to help him, and Bill followed suit to help Sookie as well. They all whacked at the ward with their swords in different directions, but nothing seemed to work.

"Sookie! Invite me in this goddamn minute! Now! Sookie!" Eric roared.

Sookie failed to respond. While Victor explored her body, a lifeless look fell upon her eyes.

"Sookie!" Eric screamed at her.

Victor laughed maniacally, "It's too late, Northman! It's too late!"

* * *

**A/N**: Ugh, Jason. Personally, I'm with Eric: let him die! But you know Sookie always trying to save everybody. *rolls eyes like Pam*

Thank you so much to all who have been so kind as to leave a review. Thanks for showing you care!


	13. The Perfect Plan

**Disclaimer:** The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

**Sookie's POV**

When having sex with a vampire, a blood exchange was a typical thing, and though I reveled in every aspect of making love with Eric, exchanging blood was one thing I never looked forward to. Drinking Eric's thousand-year-old blood meant I could clearly hear vampire's thoughts, and the main reason I liked vampires was specifically because I couldn't read their minds.

I felt at peace around vampires, as weird as that sounds. I didn't have to put my shields up, and I didn't hear any strange voices in my head. More importantly, I didn't see any images floating around their minds. I heard and saw nothing.

I could be myself.

I could relax.

It was heavenly.

So, I did my best to stay as far away from Eric's vampire blood as I could, because if anyone ever found out I was able to read vamp's thoughts, I'd be a goner. You see, vampires don't take kindly to anyone knowing what they are thinking. Luckily, my secret was safe–for now.

There was however, one vampire I couldn't feel at peace with: Victor Madden. He always acted like a typical villain around me. All he needed to complete his act was the famous _Mwahaha_ laugh.

Adding to his list of treacheries, Victor had just abducted my brother and held him at knifepoint, blackmailing me to save his life by inviting him into the protective ward around me. Unable to come up with an alternate solution to save my brother's life, I did as Victor asked, and found myself with him in the small enclosure.

Having just ingested Eric's blood allowed me to read his mind. I quickly gathered some insight into his thoughts: he was certifiably crazy. I mean, if there is a certificate given out to a crazy person, Victor would definitely have one, framed and signed in triplicate. He had a split personality, several in fact, and they all had one thing in common: they were nuts!

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

"Sookie!" Eric screamed at me.

Victor laughed maniacally. "It's too late, Northman! It's too late!"

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
6:00 Minutes to go  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

Once again, I found myself at the wrong place, wrong time. My life was in peril, and yet again there was another vampire who wanted to make me his, you know, it was a usual Friday night.

_Yawn!_ I should be worried right about now, but I'm not. Why? Because I just have to lie here for about six more minutes, before I invite Eric in and this jerk is toast.

When Victor started roaming his hands all over my body, I tried not to think about what he was doing. Instead, I wondered how much fun Eric was going to have tearing him limb from limb. I cleared my mind, as I was currently undergoing a tried and true survivalist technique: playing possum.

Victor traced his fingers across my breasts. _What is it with men and my breasts anyway?_

Victor's thoughts barreled into my brain. _She's part Fae that's why her blood is so delicious/must have it/must have it now/now/now/It's time/I will make her my child._

_No!_ This was definitely not part of my plan. I had to come up with something, and quickly. Before I could put something together, Victor grabbed me up and brought me up to his lips as if he was going to kiss me.

_Ewww! No way!_ I quickly lowered my head and he ended up sucking face with my forehead.

"You will learn to _obey_ me!" he screamed at me, striking me across the face once more, harder this time.

He sent me rolling, and it even made me spit up a little blood. At that moment I was glad I had taken Eric's blood, since normally I wouldn't have survived a hit like that.

I landed face down, sprawled on the gravel, directly behind Victor. When I lifted my face, blowing up some dust as I tried to breathe, Eric came over to me.

He looked me straight in the eyes, uttering a word I'm sure he hadn't spoken in countless ages. "Please. Please invite me in, Sookie!" He pleaded with me in a way I had never seen this beautiful man do before. I felt horrible for what I was putting him through, but he had to have faith in me. I knew what I was doing.

Since I was directly behind Victor and there was no way either he or Sandy could see my face, I dared to give my Viking a signal. I winked at him. Eric froze and just stared at me.

Victor grabbed me by my hair, and pulled me to my feet.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo• Oo•  
5:00 minutes to go  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo• Oo•

In order for my plan to work, I had to distract Victor and keep him at bay for five more minutes.

_He_ was getting close, so close to saving Jason.

* * *

**A/N:** Just a tid-bit chapter. I'm superstitious and didn't want to end the story here. So who could it be? Who could be coming to save Jason?

Well, I'll give you a hint. It's a guy, and Sookie can read his mind. But now that's she had Eric's blood, she can read vamps, too. So who could it be?

Thank you so much to all who have been so kind as to leave a review. Thanks for showing you care!


	14. The Unlikely Hero

**Disclaimer:** The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**June 2013 - Updated**

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

***TIGHT VIKING HUGS* TO:** Blue77 for her invaluable help with the French Translations in this chappie. She's magnifque!

* * *

**SOOKIE'S POV**

Maybe getting my hair pulled up fueled my brainpower or something, because I started getting an idea. Had it been my imagination or was Eric's face totally close to mine when I was hurled to the ground? I could have sworn he was approximately a yard away. If that was the case, it could only mean one thing: I had been on the edge of the ward's confines.

I knew I couldn't leave the ward of my own accord. Jason would be dead if I did. But if Victor threw me, that would be a whole different story. If I somehow managed to get thrown out, I would be willing to bet Victor wouldn't get out of the ward, until he had secured me again and could use me as a hostage. Also, Victor wouldn't kill Jason, because my brother was his bargaining chip for me to go back to him. Suddenly, it was clear what I had to do. I braced myself. This was going to hurt.

Victor had me dangling in the air by my hair, and I got a clear image of what he wanted to do to me. With one hand, he started unbuckling his pants while he lifted me as high as he could with the other. "Northman, since you and Sookie put on a show earlier, I'm sure you won't object to me having a turn with her as well?" Victor laughed and slowly licked the side of my naked body.

Eric shouted in anger and hit the ward with all his might. "You coward! I will have you begging me to kill you before I am done with you! Sookie, goddamn it! You invite me in this fucking instant! Do you hear me?" he roared.

Pam and Bill also screamed my name and they whacked at the ward alongside Eric.

Victor continued to lick me and had now unbuckled his pants, which quickly slid to the floor. I did the only thing I could do. I screamed: an annoyingly loud scream, and just as I'd hoped, it sent Victor over the edge.

"Shut up!" Victor yelled, shaking me like a rag doll. I quickly took another breath and continued to scream, this time kicking my legs and flailing my arms around.

Victor held me by my hair. "I said, shut up!"

As my screams unhinged him, he tried to slap me and reach for my throat, but since I was flailing both my legs and hands wildly, he couldn't get a clear shot to either of them.

"Obey me now, you cunt!" Victor yelled, shaking me harder. When I didn't obey him and continued my movements and screams, he snapped and lost control.

Just as I anticipated, he threw me down hard on the ground, and I bounced a little before finally landing face down on the ground. As everything spun around me, something unexpected happened which was not part of my plan.

I lost consciousness.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

I woke up just as something cold covered my face. I fluttered my eyes open and saw the most beautiful man my eyes had ever seen. "Am I in Heaven?" I asked hazily_. Shit! Some plan, Stackhouse!_ I'd gotten myself killed. Surely, I must have died, because no one but an angel could look this beautiful and perfect.

"No, my Lover," Eric laughed softly. "You are here with me." Eric held me tightly and kissed my face, covering my body with someone's long shirt he'd put on me.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
3:31 minutes to go  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

How can one girl be so lucky? Just as I was about to pucker my lips and reach around to grab Eric's butt, I suddenly came to. "Jason!" _Holy Shit, my plan worked!_ I was outside Amelia's protective ward.

I quickly pushed Eric away and got up on my feet. Fainting was not part of my original plan, but it had bought me precious seconds. My sudden movement left me dazed and I almost fell, but luckily Eric steadied me.

"Sookie—" Eric started to say.

My surroundings stopped spinning, and I was able to focus again. "Eric, where's Jason? What happened to Jason?" I started to panic. _Please don't tell me that lunatic killed him!_

"Your brother is still alive, Sookie," Victor hissed at me. "For now."

I spun around in the direction of his voice, and saw Victor still inside the confines of the ward. Apparently, he had reigned in his mad horses and was finally thinking clearly again, because his pants were on. I peeked in his head and heard him cursing at himself for being so careless, blaming the intoxicating taste of my blood for his stupid mistake.

I also checked my unlikely savior's mind. _He_ was still in position. My plans were still on track.

I looked over at Sandy and Jason. Sandy was still holding the knife to my unconscious brother's cheek. Something must have happened when I passed out, though, because Jason now had a small line of blood trickling down his neck.

"Sookie, I seemed to have lost my temper just before I was able to finish playing with you, my dear. Get back in here or your brother is dead!" Victor's tone of voice started out soft and then turned icy cold.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
2:30 min. to go  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

I tried to take a step, but Eric held me by the arm.

"Have you lost all reason, Sookie? You cannot be thinking of going back in with that lunatic! He was about to . . . "

I ignored Eric and searched for _his_ mind. Everything was still in place. Now all I had to do was nudge _him_ to do what I needed _him_ to do. I was amazed _he_ had gotten as far as _he_ had. I guessed Sandy's senses either weren't that great or she was just too distracted. I wondered if _he_ could hear me. In case _he_ didn't, I knew I needed to speak loudly.

"Sookie, are you listening to me?"

"What? Eric, let me go! I have to save my brother! If I don't go with Victor, that other vampire, Sandy, will kill Jason! No one here is fast enough to get to her before she sticks that knife in his neck! I don't have a choice; I have to save my brother!" I yelled as loudly as I could.

"Why are you shouting?" Pam asked.

I didn't answer and kept my gaze behind her, wondering if _he_ would give me some indication _he'd_ heard me.

Pam walked up to me and put the back of her hand to my forehead. "Master, perhaps Victor hit her harder than we thought. She's gone deaf and stupid!" _Well more so than usual._

"I think so, too." Bill said. "I mean she did think she was in Heaven when she saw Eric. Why the hell would they let Eric in there?"

Pam and Eric both stared at Bill.

The southern gentleman managed to laugh weakly. "I'm just saying . . . . " he murmured.

"Sookie . . . " Eric pulled me back as I started to walk away.

"Let go of me, Eric! I have to save my brother!" I yelled again.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
1:27 left to go  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

Eric, along with Bill, Pam, Alcide, and Calvin came up to me and tried to convince me not to go with Victor.

I read _his_ mind again. Well, wouldn't you know it? _He_ had heard everything I said. _Thank God!_ My brother would be saved.

I tried pushing past my friends, but they wouldn't budge out of the way. "Let me go!" I shouted.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
0:25 seconds to go  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

Oh no! _He_ was having doubts. I couldn't believe what _he_ was thinking. _He_ wasn't going to help me! _He_ was going to let Jason die! Panic seized me. Normally, I had to be touching _him_ to probe further into his mind, but with Eric's blood, my power was now enhanced. I had to find something in there to make _him_ change his mind.

_Found it! _"Let me go, Eric! If Jason's saved, I'd leave Bon Temps and go live in Shreveport with you! Did you hear me? If Jason's saved, I'd leave Bon Temps for good! For good!"

"Yes, my Lover, I can hear you. You don't have to shout. I am right here. All your friends are here in front of you. We can hear you. Sookie. Can you hear us?" Eric was talking in slow motion, enunciating every word to me.

_Boy, they all think I've gone over the deep end._

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
0:10 seconds to go  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

"Let her go, Northman. She's not going anywhere with you! She is staying here with me or Sandy will kill her brother! Sandy!" Victor yelled desperately.

Jason was starting to stir.

"Eric! Do you hear me? I'll go to Shreveport to live with you and Jason would leave, too! We Stackhouses would leave Bon Temps forever!" I yelled.

"Sookie—" Eric began to say, but was interrupted by a series of shots.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo  
Several Minutes Ago  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

_HIS_ POV

_Whoo. Whoo. Whoo_. _Okay, deep breaths. Deep breaths. Remember the training. Remember the training. Aw, hell! Who the fuck am I kidding? There's nothing in the fucking training that deals with taking down goddamn vampires!_

_There he is: Jason Stackhouse, dumb as shit, in trouble again! Looks like some girl took him hostage or something cuz she's got a knife to his neck. He probably cheated on her, the stupid fuck! Serves him right for being such a dog._

_Oh wait, those are fangs! She's a vamp. Stupid fuck, cheated on a vamper and now she's gonna kill him._

_Boy those Stackhouses' sure have a thing for vamps. He's just like his sister. First, she was with Vampire Bill, sorta nice fella though—I mean for a vamp. He did offer me a Fresca when I went to his place. It was hot though. But now, I heard she's with some other big shot vamp_.

He shook his head. _Those Stackhouses' have singlehandedly fucked up this town._

"What? Eric, let me go! I have to save my brother! If I don't go with Victor, that other vampire, Sandy, will kill Jason! No one here is fast enough to get to her before she sticks that knife in his neck! I don't have a choice; I have to save my brother!" Sookie yelled as loud as she could.

_Holy Shit! This _is_ a hostage situation. So, none of those fucking vamps can get to dipshit Jason in time, huh? Well, I guess it's up to me to take out that girl vamp._

_Whoo. Okay, I can do this. I can do this._ _Whoo._ _Should I tell them to freeze or do I just shoot? Well, this is a hostage situation; technically I don't have to identify myself. Shit! I can't remember what the damn SOP's are right now. Can't fucking think straight._

He took a deep breath. _Whoo! I can do this!_

"Let go of me Eric! I have to save my brother!" Sookie yelled again.

_It's all those fucking Stackhouses' fault. Maybe I just oughta let 'em kill that stupid son of a bitch. I mean why should I risk my life for dumb shit, Jason Stackhouse?_

_Bon Temps used to be a good town, a decent town. But ever since vamps came out of the coffin and Sookie started spreading her legs for those goddamn dead fucks, this town has gone to shit! If only those fucking Stackhouses left Bon Temps, this town would go back to what it was._

"Let me go, Eric! If Jason's saved, I'd leave Bon Temps and go live in Shreveport with you! Did you hear me? If Jason's saved, I'd leave Bon Temps for good! For good!" Sookie screamed.

_Oh, hell! Well that sure is good news. Shit, that's almost worth getting ripped apart by a vamp. At least I'd be doing the community a favor, and if I don't succeed, I'd be remembered as a hero. Oh, wait she just said only she would leave. Not good enough, that still leaves fucking Jason here and he's just a trouble magnet. No, I'll just sit back and let the vamps kill him off._

"Eric! Do you hear me? I'll go to Shreveport to live with you and Jason would leave, too! We Stackhouses would leave Bon Temps forever!" Sookie yelled.

_Oh, hell! Well there it is! Both Stackhouses will leave! Shit, I'll kill two birds with one stone, plus I'll be labeled a hero. It's a win-win situation. Okay, fuck it! Here goes nothing._

_All I have to do is aim and shoot. _

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

Immediately after the shots rang out, Sookie called out, "Victor Madden, I bind you in the protective ward."

All the Weres and Shifters started to transform, and the vampires went into fighting mode since they didn't know who was shooting.

Eric shielded Sookie with his body, while Pam shielded her Master with hers. When everyone looked at Sandy, they saw she had been shot twice in the head. She now lay slumped over on Jason.

"Holy fuck, Andy!" a now fully awake Jason yelled out. "Why the fuck were you shooting so close to me for? Goddamn, you almost shot me!"

"That's Detective Bellefleur to you, Stackhouse!" Andy shouted back. "Fucking dumb shit, I just saved your miserable life!"

"Oh . . ." Jason passed out again.

In vampire speed, Bill came over to Andy and Jason. He took them both aside and led them to where the rest of the group was at. Even though Sandy had been shot in the head by silver bullets, she would become active in a bit, and Bill didn't want to risk anything else happening to either man.

De Castro had his remaining vampires put Sandy in silver chains, so she couldn't escape when she awoke or cause any further trouble. They bound her just in time, too, as her wounds were beginning to heal. But like Eric's bullet holes, they did not close. It made Sookie shudder to think the chains around Sandy had been more than likely intended for Eric, and she gave a silent prayer of thanks the night had turned out differently.

Seeing there was no danger, the Weres and Shifters transformed back.

"What the fuck? Has this parish been converted to a nudist colony? What the fuck is wrong with you people? Put on some goddamn clothes!" Andy started ranting again.

"Bill!" Eric shouted.

Bill nodded, and hit Andy over the head for the second time that night.

"Thank you. You need to glamour him when he wakes," Eric advised Bill.

"Yes. I am aware of that."

"My Lover, you truly are amazing. So is that what you had up your sleeve? You knew about the detective's presence and what he planned to do?"

Sookie nodded.

"I am glad everything turned out all right." Eric hugged Sookie.

Sookie took a slight peek at Eric's thoughts and knew Eric was royally pissed. This was definitely a to-be-continued conversation. _He's just keeping up appearances in front of the king_. "Eric, I'm so sorry I put you through that. Forgive me. I feel horrible, but I just couldn't tell you. I tried to signal you, with a wink, but I don't know if you caught on or not. I'm so sorry to have put you _all_ through this." Sookie started to get another lump in her throat as she spoke.

"Yes, I did see your signal, although I had no idea what you were up to. We will talk about this later. Right now, we have one more task to complete before the night is through."

The entire crowd turned to look at Victor.

"Let me out of here! Sookie, let me out! You can't leave me in here!" Victor shouted. He was bouncing around like a Ping-Pong ball in the ward, trying to break out of it.

"How did you know you could bind him?" Bill asked.

"I read Amelia's mind. She sent me a message telling me how to do it," Sookie replied.

"And why didn't you do that in the first place, instead of letting him . . . " Eric paused.

"I didn't want to run the risk of anything happening to Jason. If I left the ward on my own, I knew Victor would make Sandy kill Jason right away. I had to make it seem like I left by accident." Sookie peeked at Eric's thoughts again and saw he was even more upset she had deliberately risked her life, when all along she could have just walked out of there and left Victor bound in the ward.

Eric's thoughts turned venomous.

"I'm sorry." Sookie quickly stepped out of his mind, afraid of the dark thoughts lurking in there.

"You're sorry?" Just as Eric was about to lose his composure, Sookie did something embarrassingly human. Her stomach growled.

Eric's eyes softened, his anger dissipated, and he realized this was not the time or place to show strife between them. The situation was well under control, as all the vampires present were relaxed and had pulled their fangs in.

Amelia broke the silence. "All right people. Make way. Jeez, you guys have a habit of gathering tightly together. Coming through. Hey, Sookie, I just went to my car and grabbed this extra set of gym clothes I had. Don't worry; they're clean. I never make it inside the gym. I just like buying the workout clothes. Look at these sweat pants, they say JUICY on the butt! I guess we'll have to ask Eric if that statement is true or not, huh?" Amelia smiled.

"I guess . . . " Sookie said weakly, as everyone's attention quickly shifted to Jason, who was moaning loudly. He flowed in and out of consciousness, unable to stay awake long enough to be asked what had happened to him.

"Why don't you peek into his mind and see how he came to be captured?" Eric asked Sookie while she put on the clothes and discarded the long shirt she was given.

"You want me to peek into Jason's mind?" Sookie looked horrified. "No way. God knows what I'll see in there."

"Shit, you'll probably pick up an STD if you do," Amelia chirped in. "C'mon, Eric. We all know what happened. Sandy went to find him, Jason saw pussy, and she probably knocked him out or something. Look, he's got a big bump on the back of his head."

Eric turned to look at Amelia. "Witch—" His tone signified he did not like the manner in which Amelia addressed him.

"What did you call me?" Amelia looked up at Eric in an unbelieving and shocked manner.

"I said, witch." Eric enunciated the word clearly. It was clear he was beginning to lose his temper.

"Oh, man!" Amelia was completely disappointed. "I thought you said something else. I was gonna say, you name the time and place, honey! I'll be there with a red apron on!" Amelia smiled, and the tense crowd laughed.

As angry as Eric was, Amelia managed to make him snicker.

That was her gift; she could cheer you up no matter what mood you were in.

"Boy, its sure been a long, hard night! Wilhemina, isn't it?" Amelia asked the young female Were who had fainted repeatedly during the unforgettable mating ceremony. Unable to resist picking on her, the witch prodded. "You know what I'm talking about, huh, Sister? Long and hard night, huh?"

Amelia nudged Wilhemina with her elbow while making some hand gestures indicating Eric's length and girth. Apparently, the memory was still too much for the young girl, and she fainted again.

Alcide caught the young Were before she hit the ground. "All right, Northman, I guess this is our cue to leave."

Sookie wondered why she was one of the few Weres who was fully clothed, but knew now was not the time to ask questions.

"Same for us, Sookie," Calvin added.

"Thank you all for your help. There is no way we could have survived the night if it hadn't been for you support," Sookie told Alcide and Calvin.

"Give me some credit, woman," Eric stated. "If I had been able to use my sword in the battle . . . "

"No, you were too busy using your other sword," Amelia said under her breath.

This brought a few more chuckles, and even Eric was now starting to loosen up. "Alcide, Calvin, please tend to your wounded and forward me any medical expenses. I will take care of everything in appreciation for your help," Eric said.

"Thank you, Northman. That is very generous of you," Alcide said.

Calvin nodded.

"There is no need," Felipe De Castro said. "I will take care of all the expenses. It was my ill-advised trust in Victor, which led to the events of this night. Again, I offer my apologies. Sheriff, do you also wish to take care of Sandy on your own, or do you wish us to handle her? The decision is yours by rights."

"You may take her, Your Majesty. My only quarrel is with Madden," Eric replied.

"Goodnight, Sheriff." Felipe said.

Amelia quickly came to life, pushing Eric and Sookie aside abruptly. "Did I hear you correctly, Eric? Did you say, Your Majesty?" She fluffed and arranged her hair, while adjusting her bra so her breasts would lift up.

"King Felipe De Castro, Señorita. And you are?"

"Amelia Broadway, witch extraordinaire, at your service." She leered at the king shamelessly. She outstretched her hand to him, expecting him to kiss it, and fluttered her eyelashes like a true southern belle. "Enchantée, Your Highness."

Felipe took her hand, and just as he was about to kiss it, Amelia pulled her hand back.

"Oh, wait! You wouldn't happen to have a Queen waiting for you at home, would you?" She looked at his hand to see if he had a wedding ring on.

"No, I do not have a Queen." Felipe smiled.

"Well, in that case." Amelia raised her hand back to his mouth. "I am very enchantée."

Felipe found the witch amusing and bent down to kiss her hand.

"Oh, wait!" Amelia pulled her hand away once more. "You are a hole kinda guy, aren't you?" she asked nervously.

"I beg your pardon?" Felipe asked.

"You know the phrase: I like holes not poles?" she clarified.

"Amelia!" Eric and Sookie both called out to her as Felipe continued to look at her bemusedly.

"You know, you don't bat for the other team, do you?" Amelia asked, hanging on his response. "Well, I mean besides experimentation episodes, brief ones . . . very brief . . . super brief . . . like you tried to, but got all grossed out type of brief . . . "

Felipe chuckled. "No, Miss Broadway. I do not bat for the other team."

Amelia smiled in relief and offered her hand to Felipe again. "Well, in that case. I am very, very enchantée."

Felipe paused, making sure the witch didn't move her hand away again. When she didn't, he kissed it delicately.

_Holy Shit! I think I just came!_ The sensation of his cool lips on Amelia's skin shot straight to her center.

"So you are a witch, Amelia?" The king said her name as if he was savoring a three-course meal. "Je suis ensorcelé par votre beauté."

_Shit! Did he just say he had a big dick and he wanted me to play with it? 'Cuz that's exactly what it sounded like to me_. "Well—"

Eric pushed her aside. "If you are quite done, witch." Eric looked at her with a stern look on his face.

_Fucking cockblocker!_ Amelia shot Eric a death stare. _Just 'cuz he got his kicks, doesn't mean he has to come block mine. How's a girl supposed to get laid in this town?_

"Sheriff." Felipe interrupted the stare down. "I bid you good night. Let us meet tomorrow. There is much we need to discuss."

Eric inclined his head and Felipe nodded in return. Sookie couldn't believe after all that happened, Eric still had to exchange pleasantries.

"Miss Stackhouse." Felipe bowed to her. "My deepest apologies. I am glad you are well."

Sookie wanted to tell him to stuff it where the sun didn't shine, but the last thing she wanted was another fight. At the moment, she just wanted him to leave. She stayed silent and awkwardly nodded her head at him, reaching over to take Eric's hand.

"Good night," Felipe said to all present. He turned around, giving Amelia one last look before he and his remaining vampires left.

"Ah, man! I didn't even get to ask him what the cape thing was all about," Amelia said, walking away.

Ignoring her friend's remarks, Sookie turned to look at Alcide. "Alcide, can you take care of Sam? He got hurt in the battle."

"Of course we'll take care of him. Don't worry; he'll be fine. He won't even have a limp. It was a clean wound, and none of his muscles were hit. He's very lucky," Alcide said.

Letting go of Eric's hand, Sookie went to talk to her boss.

"Hey, Sam. I heard you fought bravely today. You were awesome!"

"Thanks, Sookie. You know I'll always fight for you." Sam paused. "So, I guess you're moving to Shreveport with Eric?"

"Yes, I think it's for the best. Sam, about tonight. I'm s—"

"No, Sookie, I understand. If you ever need me, you know I'm here for you," Sam told her.

"Thanks, Sam. Likewise." Sookie couldn't stop the tears from welling in her eyes. "Oh, Sam, I'm going to miss you. You are the best boss I ever had."

"And you were my favorite waitress, cher. I'll miss you, too."

They hugged each other and said their goodbyes.

"Let yourself be happy, Sookie. You deserve it. You do," Sam told her.

"So do you, Sam. Thanks for everything."

Eric touched shoulders with Alcide and Calvin, thanking them and offering his services, should they ever have need of them. As the Weres and Shifters—taking Sam in tow—departed, Eric was the first to break the awkward silence. "Witch, is it possible to put a spell on Sookie's brother so this can never happen again?"

"You mean like put a protective ward around him? Hmm. Yes, I suppose I could make it so no one could approach him, if they mean him or Sookie harm." Amelia answered, still a bit hurt at Eric's actions. "Maybe . . . "

"Surely, this would be an easy task for you. You are, after all, a witch extraordinaire, are you not?" Eric teased.

"Well, that's just one of my talents," Amelia answered. "But you can never tell Jason he has the ward on him because I can just see him lowering it for any skirt which blows his way."

"Yes, you are right. What do you require for this spell? Is there anything you require from me? I will be happy to provide you with anything you need–no expense is too high." Eric knowingly loaded his words, realizing the witch had to be in a certain mood to deliver her skills.

"Oh, honey, there is plenty I require of you, but unfortunately not for this spell."

"Amelia!" Sookie gasped.

"Oh, sweetie, I mean no harm. I know he's off the market. The very long, wide market. Super long—"

"Get out of here, Amelia," Sookie said, rolling her eyes.

Amelia made Sookie and Eric chuckle. "Hey, Tray and I will take your brother home and I'll put the spell on him. Don't worry about anything, all right? I'm so glad you are okay," Amelia said.

"Oh, wait. Amelia, have you seen Pam and Bill?" Sookie asked, glad Amelia remembered she had a boyfriend.

"Oh, I forgot. Well, Bill left to take Andy home when you were talking to Sam. He told me to tell you goodnight. Eric, Bill said if you needed him, you knew where to find him. And Pam went with Tray to look at your car. Oh, here they come."

Pam carried the Corvette and set it down on the gravel before them.

"Well, Mr. Northman, I took a look at your car and there was some damage to the roof of the vehicle, since it landed upside down, but luckily, the vampire it came down on prevented further damage to it. Nothing happened to the engine. It's intact, and only one tire needs to be replaced. The windshield, as well as the windows, busted out, but it's still drivable, once I fix the tire. The roof will also be an easy fix. We just need to hammer the dents out. It'll only take a few hours and tomorrow morning, I can send someone out to Fangtasia to pick up the car to do further repairs on it."

"Yes, that will be acceptable. This is a special car to me now, and I need to discuss some special instructions as to the nature of the repairs," Eric replied.

Tray handed Eric his business card. "All right, Mr. Northman. Here's my phone number. You can call me at any time."

"Let me cut down your repair time," Eric stated. "Pam, will you do the honors?"

"I'd be delighted to, Master." Pam took Tray's business card and put it away. She then smoothed out the dents with her fists until the roof looked somewhat straight.

"Oh, Mr. Northman, I do have a windshield for your particular make and model back at the shop. I can install it in forty-five minutes. Would you like to wait? I mean just so you don't have to eat bugs on your way home?"

"Yes, we will still be here in forty-five minutes. Won't we, Victor?" Eric chuckled at the trapped vampire, who was still hopping around inside the ward. "How about it Pam, do you think we can find something to do with Victor during that time?" Eric asked.

"Oh, yes, Master. I have a few ideas," Pam replied.

"Sookie, go with your witch friend and get something to eat. I do not want it being said that I am neglecting your nutrition. Take your time. I am going to be tied up for a while." Eric failed to look at Sookie as he spoke, afraid she was going to ask him not to hurt Victor.

"All right. Eric, can I make a request?" Sookie asked.

"Request? Yes, my Lover, what is it?" Eric prepared himself for the oncoming fight with his bonded. _This time, I'm not backing down. I will not make the same mistake in letting her past lovers keep their worthless lives. No more playing nice._

"Can you make sure you pluck out his fangs?" Sookie asked.

"My Lover!" Eric was surprised and kissed her on the cheek. "I shall find great pleasure in granting your request, Lover. Hmm. Now, who is the monster?" Eric teased in her ear as he held her tightly.

She opened herself up to the bond and took in all of the feelings he was experiencing. She was filled with a sense of restlessness, apprehension, a lot of anger, and something else. It was small and it didn't last too long, but it felt warm and tingly.

"All right! All right, you two. Break it up! C'mon, Sookie I'm starving. Let's go see what's open. Tray, what time is it?" Amelia asked.

"It's eight past eleven," Tray answered.

Amelia grabbed a hold of Sookie and they left, taking an unconscious Jason with them.

"Oh, wait. I left something in the bathroom," Sookie said. "Eric, is it okay if I go inside and get something I forgot?"

"Yes, of course, my Lover."

Sookie went inside the bar, avoiding the ward around Victor, and grabbed Claudine's gel from the sink.

Taking advantage of the telepath's absence, Pam produced Sookie's red apron, which had been ripped in half. "Master, when we were looking at your car, I found this lodged in the hood. I kept it, thinking you might want it—for a memento perhaps?"

"Yes, child. You did well." Eric put the remains of the apron away in the car's glove compartment, just as Sookie came out of the bar.

"Thank you," Sookie whispered in Eric's ear and kissed him goodbye.

He simply nodded to her, and she quickly got into Tray's car.

Amelia rolled down the window and asked, "Oh, by the way Sookie, do I have your permission to take down the protection ward?" The witch looked at Eric and Pam who stood in front of an exhausted Victor. The forlorn vampire had finally tired of trying to escape, and lay crumpled on the floor. Eric and Pam eyed him intensely, their fangs peeking out as they surrounded him.

"Yes," Sookie answered, from within the car.

As they drove away, Amelia uttered the words to undo the ward, wishing she could stick around and see Victor's ultimate demise.

"Victor, Victor. Alone at last," Eric said, watching the car disappear from his view.

Victor weakly stood up, a desperate look in his eyes. He looked around for a place to run.

"Why, Victor. I do believe you are sweating. You look panicked, Victor. Whatever could be troubling you? Do you want to run? Go ahead and run, Victor. It would greatly enhance the experience for me. You see, I love the chase," Eric taunted him.

"As do I, Master. Why, blood tastes so delicious when it's laced with adrenalin and fear." Pam chuckled. "Why don't we let him run, Master? I do love it when we let them think they have a chance to survive."

"Of course, my child. Go ahead, Victor. You heard her. We'll give you a head start, won't we, Pam?" He leaned forward to Victor, as if he was going to tell him a secret. "Run!" Eric startled the crazed vampire.

With a frenzied look in his eyes and a scream, Victor ran for his life.

"How long should we give him, Master?" Pam asked, as both she and Eric pulled their fangs fully down.

"We have given him long enough. It is a shame we cannot take our time and dedicate all night to Victor, but I still have to deal with your Mistress," Eric stated.

"Well, Master. You know what they say: it's more about quality than quantity." Pam snickered. "I'm sure we can come up with something."

"You never disappoint, Pamela. After you." Eric outstretched his hand and he and his child disappeared into the night, following after Victor's frantic screams.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

Sookie decided to take her time as Eric suggested, and before they went to eat, they dropped Jason off at his house.

"I know the clothes you lent me are clean, Amelia, but I need to take a shower. I won't take but a second and I'll grab a clean pair of Jason's jeans and a shirt . . . if I can find some."

"Go ahead. I'll get Tray to help me put Jason in his bed and I'll put the spell on him."

"Okay." Sookie got a clean towel from the dryer and wrapped it around her, throwing Amelia's clothes in the wash. _Time to take that creep's scent off my body!_ Sookie jumped in the shower. When she was done and was drying herself, Amelia knocked on the bathroom door.

"Linen service!" Amelia called.

Sookie, wrapped in a towel, cracked open the door and saw her holding the folded pair of workout clothes in her hands. "They're done? How did they wash and dry so fast?"

"Oh, I happen to know a little bit of magic," Amelia stated. "Now, hurry up and get dressed. I'm starving!"

"Okay! Okay!" Sookie grabbed the clothes. She studied and gave them a sniff, wondering if they were truly clean.

"Let's go to that burger joint by the highway, okay?" Amelia asked. "I think they stay open till one."

"Is that all you like to eat? Burgers?"

"Well, there's nothing like having some thick, juicy, piece of beef swirling around in a girl's mouth."

"Eww . . . " Sookie grimaced.

Amelia grinned. "Oh, who you kiddin'?" she whispered, giving Sookie a playful wink. "Now come on and hurry, or do you want me to teleport you there?"

"No! I'll be right out!" Sookie moved rapidly and put the clothes on in a flash.

"I swear, just cuz you saw _The Fly_, all of a sudden you spazz out if I just say the word: teleport."

_I've had enough teleporting for one night, thank you very much. Sweet Shepherd, I just hope I don't wake up with fly antennas or some other insect part tomorrow!_ "I'm ready!" Sookie came out of the bathroom, ready to pile into Tray's car again.

"Humph." Amelia followed her.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo

"Sweetie, why don't you go drain your lizard or something?" Amelia asked Tray once they had all finished eating.

"Amelia!" Sookie began to say.

"Okay, I'll be right back, girls. Sookie, make sure she doesn't run off somewhere." Tray patted Amelia's head as he left.

"Amelia, what has gotten into you? You know, I wasn't going to say anything, but flirting with Felipe De Castro with Tray in viewing distance? Have you lost your mind? Felipe almost killed Eric, and made me his pet!"

"Oh, stuff a sock in it, Sooks. When aren't you on the potential pet list? As for Tray, he didn't hear anything. No harm, no foul."

"Amelia—"

"And since we're chatting woman-to-woman, I personally think you're just too picky with your men. Why, if I was in your place—"

"Oh, I know what you'd do in my place, Amelia. I can already see the sex orgy loincloths littered all over my house."

"Hey, don't knock it 'till you've tried it. It'll be like Spring Break in Cancun all over again." Amelia laughed weakly. "Besides, a girl has the right to have some fun."

"What's the long face for? Is there something wrong?"

"Shit, Sooks. I just have the worst luck in men. Tray wants us to wait until we _know_ each other before we can take our relationship to the _next level_," Amelia said, using air quotes. "So, it's just not working out for me, 'cuz there's only one thing I want to know about Tray, and it doesn't involve talking. Besides, you know me, Sooks. When it comes to men, I'm not much of a talker."

"Unless it's dirty talk," Sookie added.

Both girls laughed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. But still . . . "

"I know. I should've gotten a handle on things. I'm sorry, okay? Maybe it was Felipe's cape that made my toes curl and I couldn't stop myself. I'll try harder next time, all right? Felipe's just too fine for his own damn good."

"Amelia!"

"All right! Felipe De Castro is off Amelia Broadway's menu. You happy?" she chuckled. "Gosh, Sooks. A girl's gotta keep her options open. It's not like all of us can get a man like Eric Northman, now can we? I hope you realize—that's some catch you got yourself, girlfriend."

"I do."

"So, what are we doing here wasting our time? Let me guess, you're afraid to face him aren't you? You're afraid he's going to get after you for what happened tonight, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he _should _get after you, Sookie. What you did tonight was very stupid. But I'm pretty sure you know that by now, right?"

Sookie nodded.

Amelia sighed. "Well, you got your man, girl. That was the easy part. Now comes the real test. Can you keep him?"

"What do you mean?"

"You gotta be on your A-game to keep a man like that, honey. I'm talking all sorts of Kama Sutra positions and kinky shit. You know what I mean, right?" Amelia chuckled.

Sookie quickly took a sip of her drink to conceal her blushing face.

"You gotta keep your eyes open, honey. No one's going to make it easy on you to keep your man, either."

"What do you mean?"

"Sooks, you have a lot of things going against you. Those things will interfere with your relationship."

"Like what?"

"Well for starters, there's a lot of jealous people out there who will try to break you apart, and you have one big, huge, fucking enemy who always fucks up everything for you."

"Who?" Sookie asked.

"You! You're your own worst enemy, honey. You need to trust Eric. I know you don't have a lot of experience with relationships, and both the assholes you've dated betrayed and fucked you over, but Eric isn't like that. Tonight, you didn't trust him enough to tell him what you were doing."

"There wasn't any time to explain."

"You can't save everybody, sweetie! Jason got himself in that position with Sandy by following his brain below his waist. Whether he lived or died was a decision _he_ had to live with. Why do you always have to clean up after him? Would he do the same for you?"

"You just don't understand. He's my brother."

"You're right. I don't understand how you just barreled you way over to Victor and almost got yourself raped and turned into his vampire bitch. When's it going to be enough, Sooks? What's it going to take to make you see how careless you're being with your life?"

"Eric wasn't going to do anything. He wasn't going to help me."

"How do you know what he was or wasn't going to do? He's a thousand years old, for Christ's sake! Don't you think he might have had a trick up his sleeve, or a solution he had under wraps? No, you didn't even bother to give him a chance. You were too busy emasculating him in front of people. What you did tonight could ultimately cost you both your lives one day."

"What are you talking about?" Sookie shifted in her seat nervously.

"Sookie, Eric's not human; he's a vampire—and an important one at that. And what do you do? You tell him in front of his enemies that there was no way he could've won without Calvin and Alcide's help. Then, adding insult to injury, you get all sappy with Sam as everyone's watching you. God knows what kind of stupid things you would've said to Bill, so I made sure he went home."

"Oh."

"Yes, it was great that your friends came to help you, but you have to give your man his place. Behind closed doors, girl, you can do whatever you want, but in public, you have to make it seem like he wears the pants. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I—"

"The reason why Felipe and Victor even came after him tonight was because you've made it very clear how stubborn and unrelenting you are."

"Amelia—"

"Look, Sooks. Your telepathy isn't going away. You have an opportunity before you to do something for yourself other than to hide in this backward town and be a waitress for the rest of your life. By staying here, away from Eric and the protection he offered you, made his kind—the vamps—see this as a golden opportunity to take you."

"They thought he was unfit to protect me. I get it."

"Look, I'm not telling you to become a doormat and let him walk all over you. What I'm saying is keep a united public appearance for both your sakes. After you get behind closed doors—"

"Yeah. I know. It's just so hard. I've been alone for so long."

"Isn't Eric what you wanted?"

Sookie nodded.

"Well you got him, honey. He's pledged himself only to you and agreed to forsake all others. You're not alone anymore. Now you've got Eric."

Sookie smiled.

"C'mon now, sweetie. Let's get out of here. You need to go get your man. Oh, and please, just for me, stroke and lick that thick, big, huge—"

"Amelia!"

"What? I was just gonna say, his thick, big, huge . . . um head. You know where he houses that intelligent brain of his," Amelia teased.

"Yeah, I have no doubt which _head_ you meant."

Both girls continued to giggle until Tray came back.

_Sweet Shepherd please give me strength to get through this night._

* * *

**TRANSLATIONS (again big thanks to Blue77! *hugs*)**

Enchantèe – delighted to meet you.

Je suis ensorcelé par votre beauté – I am bewitched by your beauty. *swoons*

**A/N:** So, did you figure it out who the mystery POV was before the big reveal? I threw in the Fresca reference for those of you who watch the True Blood show. Our big hero was Andy Bellefleur.

Special thanks to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review. Thanks for showing you care.


	15. A Kiss Ass Confession

Disclaimer: The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

*TIGHT ERIC HUGS* To: Maria Terese for hooking me up with all the tasty Swedish language. Mmm! Delish!

June 2013 - Updated

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

Tray, Amelia, and Sookie made it back to Merlotte's at around half-past twelve. Tray had stopped by his shop and gotten his work truck and tools so he could begin installing the new windshield on Eric's Corvette. Sookie was pretty sure this was not something a normal man could do by himself, but since Tray was a Supe, he managed alone.

Amelia stayed and talked with Sookie, while Tray worked on the windshield and then on the flat tire. It didn't take him long to finish, and pretty soon all they heard was the sound of crickets singing their nightly song around them.

"What time is it?" Sookie asked.

"It's nineteen minutes past one," Tray answered with a yawn.

"Oh, don't do that, Tray," Amelia said, yawning as well. "Those things are super contagious."

Feeling guilty they were up so late, Sookie turned to Tray. "Thanks, Tray. Listen, Amelia, why don't you both go home? I'm sure Eric will be by any minute."

"No, Sookie. I can't leave you alone. Not after what happened tonight." _Especially since Mr. King Hotness might show up again, and I'm not missing that_. Amelia quickly started humming in her head when Sookie shot her a nasty look.

"Amelia, it's fine, really. Now please go to bed and I'm sorry for having disturbed your evening."

"Oh, don't worry about us, Sooks. We were just watching a movie. Anytime you need me, don't hesitate to call me–especially if you and Eric decide to do another public mating ceremony. I'm totally down with that."

"Goodnight, Amelia," Sookie said dryly. "Please take her, Tray," Sookie pleaded, trying hard not to chuckle.

Amelia kissed her goodnight and Tray said his goodbyes as well.

After they drove away, Sookie sat in the passenger side of the Corvette and leaned back.

"Mmm . . . " Sookie moaned, sinking into the comfortable leather seats. _This feels heavenly. I just need to rest my eyes for a moment. Just a moment._ She closed her eyes and relaxed her body.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

Sookie felt as if she was in a paradise, gliding seamlessly through a clear blue ocean. A sense of peace and absolute serenity filled her being while she slowly swam in the transparent waters. She wondered how she was able to do this without breathing, but she was having too much fun to think on that for too long.

Out of nowhere, a sudden feeling of fear gripped her. The clear waters transformed to black and she raced to swim up to the surface. Unable to breathe, she sunk like lead into the dark depths below with her arms wrapped around her neck, pleading for air.

With a loud gasp, Sookie awoke and felt something around her chest pull her back. Blinking and panting, she soon realized she was buckled in the Corvette, on the way to Shreveport. Eric was driving, at a normal speed. She imagined she must have been asleep for quite a while, since there were only twenty minutes away from Fangtasia.

Eric sat silently, seemingly oblivious to her presence.

Sookie cleared her throat. "I hate driving this road at night," she said, not knowing what else to say to alert a pensive Eric that she was awake.

Eric didn't respond.

Sookie scooted herself up in the seat, adjusting the tight seatbelt around her. "I can't believe the county never installed some lights here." _God forbid, if we happen to break down here, no one will see us surrounded by these woods_.

Eric nodded.

"I'm glad you're all right," she said shakily.

Eric remained silent, his fingers gripping the wheel so hard, Sookie thought he would surely break it.

_Is he still mad at me? Or did something go wrong with Victor?_ Sookie decided to peek into his brain to see what could be troubling him.

She saw that Victor was finally dead. She tried looking in another area of Eric's brain since she didn't want to see how Victor had died. But Eric was only thinking about the various torture techniques he and Pam made Victor endure before they finally ended his existence. Eric was right, Victor had begged repeatedly for Eric to kill him—at least he had before Eric pulled out his tongue. She shuddered at the memory and decided to stop looking into his head.

Sookie then tried opening the bond to gauge his feelings towards her. She was suddenly hit with a large wave of anger directed at her. It was just as she had feared. Eric had been holding back when they were with the others, but now that they were alone, he was ready to confront her. Sookie braced herself.

"I am glad to see you awake. It is good to know you feel no remorse about tonight and are able to sleep without any problems." Eric clenched his teeth, his fingers moving restlessly around the steering wheel.

Sookie thought it best to feign innocence and act as if she hadn't heard anything and avoid having the conversation while he drove. "What?" She smiled brightly at him. She stretched her body, and yawned. "What time is it?"

_Perhaps she did not hear me because she just woke up. _Eric decided to control his brimming anger and give her the benefit of the doubt. "It is forty-eight minutes past two. We are about fifteen minutes away from Fangtasia."

"Oh, thanks." Sookie stretched again and turned to her left to study Eric's profile in the dark. She reached over and caressed his cheek with her fingers. "Hi, baby. How are you? I missed you."

Eric slammed on the brakes and turned the steering wheel simultaneously, making the car skid off the road. Sookie put both her arms around her face, bracing herself for impact as the car barreled straight for the trees. A single scream escaped her lips as Eric stopped the car just before it made its way into the woods. Sookie was so scared, she panted for breath just as if she had been running a marathon. She didn't need to read Eric's mind to see he was feeling livid.

Eric got out of the car as Sookie tried to control her panicked senses. In vampire speed, he came over to her side, unbuckled her seatbelt, and yanked her out of the car by her hand. He then lifted her by the waist and put her down in front of the nearest tree. He made her lean back on it, and placed his hands on either side of her face.

"How am I, Sookie? How am I? You really want to know how I am?" Eric was still shirtless and wearing only his pants and shoes.

Sookie tried to scoot back on the tree, but she was finding it hard to gather her footing while stepping on the tree's roots with her high-heels. As she leaned her body back, Eric moved his body forward on hers.

The woods were dark and the only light available came from the car's headlights, which were pointing in the opposite direction. Sookie couldn't clearly see Eric's face, but having him so close to her was sending her senses into overdrive. She was still reeling from the false car crash, and it seemed her adrenalin was still pumping frenziedly through her body. She tried to get her breathing under control. As he leaned closer, his masculine scent shot straight to her core.

Any hopes Eric had stopped in the middle of the woods to have her for a late night snack were dashed when he said, "Sookie, what you did tonight was unforgivable."

"Eric, I'm s—"

"You will not talk! You will listen to what I have to say, and you will not interrupt me. Do I make myself understood?" He removed his right arm from the tree and pointed his right index finger in her face, shaking it as he said each word.

He started broadcasting images of shaking, spanking, or taking her forcefully if she dared to interrupt him. Sookie decided the smartest thing to do was stay right where she was, and remain quiet. She nodded to him that she understood.

Eric put his arm back on tree by the side of her face and began reminding her of all the things she had done that night, which he took as a personal affront to their bond. As he recounted the events of the evening, Sookie began to hang her head down, but she thought better of this as _he_ had done things which she took as a personal affront to their bond as well. So, she braced herself fully on the tree and held his gaze as he continued.

When he got to the part of Victor and how she had risked herself with the deranged vampire, Sookie couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret as Eric's voice trembled. Having him so close, she easily entered his mind and sensed how worried he had felt and the anxious minutes he went through, thinking Victor would harm her. She quickly got out of his head when she glimpsed the image of deadly snakes, millions of them, swirling in a black mist ready to strike and kill.

"I begged you. I pleaded with you, and for what? You put me through hell and you made me watch as that animal . . . " Eric paused, his rising ire lodging the words in his throat. He sped away from her, breaking a nearby tree in half, hurling it into the air.

Sookie gasped, putting one of her hands to her mouth at seeing Eric take out his anger at whatever was in his path. Everything in the situation told her to try to escape, but she remained glued to the tree behind her. Sookie closed her eyes as the sounds of snapping trees came from all around her. For the first time that night, she thought back on the events she had just endured and realized just how close she had come to dying–again.

_Not just me, but Jason, Pam, Bill, Sam, and all my friends. We were all in danger tonight. If something had happened, it . . . it would have been my fault._ Tears started rolling down her face. _Sweet Shepherd, when will all this ever end?_ She began to sob.

Feeling her distress, Eric made his way toward her and washed his anger away when he saw her crumpled at the bottom of the tree. He bent down, his hands bloodied, and reached out to her.

Sookie quickly fell into his arms, finding solace in his embrace as she cried. She felt his Adam's apple move up and down as he held her. Such a human reaction to her tears made her hold him tighter to her body. Slowly, he brought his hand up and began brushing his fingers through her hair, comforting her.

Sookie gathered her courage and asked, "May I speak now?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"Please tell me; what could I have done differently?"

He pulled her off him and placed her back on the tree. "You could have trusted me, Sookie. I would have found a way. I always find a way," he said sternly, lightly shaking her.

"Eric, I have no words to tell you how sorry I am for tonight."

"Why is it so hard for you to place your trust in me, woman?" Eric searched her eyes for an answer.

"I guess I've been on my own for so long. I've gotten used to relying on myself. Besides, trusting people hasn't worked out for me, just look at Bill, and Quinn. They both betrayed me."

"I am not Bill, nor am I Quinn."

"I know that, Eric. Nothing, no one even comes close to how special you are to me. What can I do to fix this? Tell me what can I do to take away the pain I've caused you. I'll do anything," Sookie pleaded.

"Promise me you will never do this again. Swear to me you will never risk your life needlessly ever again—not even for me. Place your trust in me, woman. That is all I ask of you."

"Eric, I solemnly vow I will never risk my life needlessly or act recklessly like I did tonight ever again. I promise to place my full trust in you."

"Sookie . . . " Eric got close to her.

She held her breath, anticipating his touch, his kiss.

Instead, he told her softly, "Get back in the car. They are waiting for us at Fangtasia."

She released her breath, confused at his words, but complied and made her way to the car. He helped her to her feet and put her inside the car, locking the seatbelt on her.

"I left instructions at Fangtasia—in case we didn't arrive by a certain time."

"Oh, I see."

He got into the car and got back on the road. He made his way toward Fangtasia as if the devil were on his heels.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

When they arrived at the club later, Eric parked the Corvette, leaving it unlocked for Tray with the keys on the driver seat. Instead of walking in through the back entrance, as was their usual custom, Eric decided to make his way in through the front doors.

With Eric being shirtless and with Sookie wearing heels, workout clothes, and a flawless hairstyle, it surely must have created quite an impression on whoever saw them. She felt sorry for whoever dared to mention it, and hoped no one would be that foolish.

Since it was a Friday night, the club had closed at three, and by now, the Fangtasia employees were just about done cleaning up the bar and setting the chairs up on the tables so they could vacuum. When they saw Eric walk in, they all immediately stopped what they were doing, and dropped to their knees and chanted, "Master."

Eric immediately straightened his posture and said in a commanding voice, "Proceed with your duties."

The employees inclined their heads in respect.

He looked over to Sookie. "Come with me."

Sookie followed behind him and the employees did their best not to stare at them as they made their way to the back part of the club.

"Sookie, wait for me here. I will be right back." Eric left and returned with an extra set of his clothes and some Fangtasia wear wrapped in plastic, along with some sandals and two towels. She accepted the bar's clothes and the towel meant for her, and followed him to the shower.

"Sookie, this shower is only designed for one person. You can go first." Eric set the clothes down on a counter and turned on the water, setting it to a warm temperature.

"Oh, I already showered. When we went to drop off Jason, I took a shower at his house while Amelia put the spell on him." Sookie smiled, and tried to look as cheerful as she could.

"I still smell _him_ on you." Eric averted his gaze to the ground.

"Oh." Sookie now realized why he had pulled away from her in the woods. She nodded, and quickly took off her clothes in front of him.

He raised an eyebrow, seeing she still had Victor's bite marks on her breasts. Eric bit his finger and traced the fang marks until his blood made them fade away.

"Thank you." Sookie got in the shower.

"Here, allow me." Remaining outside the shower, Eric reached in his hands and wet her body down. The water began spilling on the floor, but Sookie said nothing as Eric didn't seem to mind. Lathering the soap in his hands, he washed her body and hair meticulously, until he was satisfied Victor's scent was gone.

Sookie opened her eyes when she heard a loud knock from the other side of the door.

"Master," an employee spoke from the other side.

Eric closed the glass shower door and opened the bathroom door. The employee immediately kneeled before Eric. The employee told him they were done cleaning and asked if he wanted them to leave the club open or close it down. Eric told them to leave it open, and he would close it down when he left. He let the employee leave after he told him to send someone to clean the shower room tomorrow. The employee inclined his head and left.

Opening the glass shower door, Eric said, "It is done." He led her out of the shower and handed her a towel so she could dry herself. He then took off his clothes and stepped into the shower, closing the glass door behind him.

Once she finished drying herself, Sookie went to a white sink counter, which had a slanted downwards mirror covering the length of it, allowing a person to view their entire body. She wrapped her wet hair up with her towel, and began to open the plastic packages that contained a Fangtasia T-shirt, underwear, and sweatpants Eric had given her.

She quickly put them on, taking the towel off her head.

"There's a hairdryer in one of the cabinets," Eric shouted from the shower.

"Okay." Sookie opened the cabinet. It was filled with towels, toiletries, and the hair dryer. Sookie took the hair dryer out and pointed it at her hair after she plugged it in. To her surprise, her hair was dried in less than a minute and looked just the same as when Claudine had styled it.

_Sweet Shepherd! I've got to make Claudine show me how she did that!_

The shower stopped running and Eric came from behind her, drying himself off. "All done with the hair dryer?"

"Yes. Um . . . Eric, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Eric replied.

Sookie smiled. "Will you answer it?"

Eric snickered. "Maybe."

The shower had done Eric good and Sookie could see he was now in a playful mood. Sookie thought if she handled things properly, they could move past the night's difficult moments and concentrate instead on the positive things which had occurred. After all, they were now properly bonded, and Eric had pledged to be faithful. Sookie wasn't going to let anything ruin that development.

She took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing_. "You really like it when people kiss your ass, right?" Sookie asked teasingly.

"What?" He definitely was not expecting Sookie to ask him that.

"Yes, your employees, when they kneel and call you Master. This makes you happy, doesn't it? The way they kiss your ass?"

"They do not _kiss my ass_, Sookie. They show me respect in hopes that one day I will turn them. And yes, I do like it when people show me respect."

"Wow, all right. Sounds fair. I just thought maybe you liked getting your ass kissed, too. Guess I was wrong."

Eric didn't know where she was heading with this, but her words were upsetting him. He decided to ignore her comments. "May I have the hair dryer, now?"

"Sure. Here you go." She gave him the hair dryer.

He began drying his locks as he stood naked in front of the mirror.

Sookie stood next to him as he continued his task, and when she saw he only needed a few more passes until he was done, she got directly behind him.

He looked at her in the mirror, curious to see what she was doing behind him.

Slowly, Sookie kneeled down on the ground behind him.

Eric immediately stiffened his body.

Sookie locked eyes with him in the mirror and put her hands on his ankles, leisurely moving them up his body. Slowly, her hands made their way up to his calves, the back of his knees, the back of his thighs, and finally up to her most prized possession—his ass. Cupping his cheeks, she fanned her fingers on them and squeezed them delicately. She smiled as she saw Eric's member stir to life. The Viking was definitely enjoying her touch.

After squeezing and massaging him a bit longer, she gradually moved her hands to the front side of his thighs. Once her hands were there, she pulled him backwards towards her face. Eric allowed her to move him and she placed her lips on his butt cheeks. She began to kiss each cheek slowly and passionately, using her tongue as she moved from one to the other.

Eric turned off the hair dryer and ran his fangs down as he watched her. Hearing the dryer off, Sookie stopped her actions for a moment to look at the mirror and smiled at Eric before she went back to her task of rocking him back and forth, kissing his gorgeous ass. Eric remained silent, indulging her as she kissed him.

Sookie took off her T-shirt and kneeled closer to him, letting her bare breasts press against the back of his legs as she left a trail of kisses from the back of his thighs up to his hips. She began sucking on his cool flesh, moaning his name. "Mmm, Eric." She steadied herself and brought one of her hands back, putting it between his legs to caress his jewels.

"Sookie . . ." Eric moaned, and her touch incited his passion. His erection twitched, begging to be touched as well, and he quickly reached his hand down, pulling her hand upwards so she could stroke his length. Once her warm hand encircled his girth, he moaned loudly as she tightened her grip around him, pumping him—her breasts moving up and down the back of his legs.

Sookie looked up into the mirror and saw her bonded had his eyes closed, his tongue circling his fangs as he savored the sensation of her hands on his body. At that moment, she desperately wanted his blue eyes locked on hers, hoping to see in his eyes if he had really forgiven her. She laced her tongue on the side of his hips and bit him, drawing a bit of blood, to get his attention.

With a gasp, he opened his eyes, and rocked his body forward, shuddering at seeing his blood on her plump lips. Hesitantly, she let go of him.

Eric studied her in a haze.

She quickly set to take her clothes off. He controlled his lust as she stepped out of the sweatpants, sliding her naked body up on his, kissing his back as she rose behind him. A deep growl escaped his throat when she walked in front of him, stroking his upper body with her breasts.

"Did you like that?" She embraced him, taking hold of his erection with one hand and lightly stroking his hardened nipples with the fingertips of her free hand.

Eric bent down and kissed her lips, careful not to cut her with his fangs. "Yes," he whispered.

"I thought you didn't like it when someone kissed your ass," Sookie teased, rubbing her nose on his while she grazed her thumb over his thick, hard tip.

"They obviously lack your talent for it," he replied, hungrily kissing her lips once more.

She let go of his length and wrapped her arms around his neck as Eric deepened his kiss, pushing her back towards the counter, until she was against it. In vampire speed, he took a towel out of the cabinet and placed it on the counter. With ease, he lifted her up and sat her on it, spreading her legs open until they were around his waist.

Eric brought his fangs in and laid a trail of kisses down her neck until he wrapped his lips around her pebbled nipples, sucking and tugging at them mercilessly. Sookie moaned loudly and loosened her legs down to his sides, unable to hold them around him any longer. He slowly lowered his large frame, leaving a wet trail of kisses on her stomach with his tongue, until he positioned his head in between her legs.

"Wait, Eric," she said, her breath coming in pants.

Eric swirled his cool tongue down to her mound. "Sookie . . . "

"Please, wait. I . . . I have to tell you something."

Reluctantly, Eric stood up, pausing to momentarily suck on one of her pink, pert nipples again, flicking at it playfully with his tongue. He sighed and laid a brief kiss on her lips. "I am listening."

"I . . . I wanted to show you I was sorry about tonight," she began, pulling away from him. "I was wrong to—"

"I do not wish to discuss tonight further, Lover." Eric leaned down to kiss her again.

Sookie pulled back once more. "Precisely 'cause I want to forget it, Eric—I have to get this off my chest."

"What is it, darling?" he asked, softly kissing her lips.

"Tonight . . . that whole . . . everything," she said, struggling to find the right words. "I didn't put my trust in you b-because of the things I heard."

"What things, Lover?"

Sookie took a deep breath. "What Sandy said tonight wasn't news to me. I had heard . . . things about your nightly feedings. And I was angry and hurt."

"Sookie—" Eric whispered softly.

"You never came back, Eric," Sookie said, holding his gaze. "I shared something so special with you. I felt your feelings through the bond, something I'd never experienced before, but it's like, it didn't matter to you. _I_ didn't matter to you. The last time I saw you was when you told me the king was giving me formal protection, then nothing. The nights turned into weeks, but you never came back."

"What we shared _was_ special, Sookie. I—"

"What, Eric?"

He took an unnecessary breath. "I have no words."

"I don't either," Sookie replied. _That's it? Isn't this the part where he's supposed to say, "They meant nothing to me. It's part of my nature to feed, but you're my one and only?"_

"Sookie, I was a fool." Eric stepped back and turned around, unable to look her in the face. "Let us leave our past behind us."

"Something happened, didn't it? Was it something I did and that's why you . . . " She felt Eric tense his shoulders and she knew she had stumbled onto something. "Please tell me, Eric. If you don't tell me, how will I know what's wrong?"

"At Rhodes, you left with him," Eric whispered.

Sookie knew he was referring to Quinn.

"You were bonded to me, but that mattered little to you. After he returned on the night of the takeover, I thought you would surely go back with him, so I stayed away."

"Eric, you know that Quinn betrayed me. I could never be with him again after that."

"You are too forgiving, Sookie. You were set to be with Compton, until I revealed his initial motives for approaching you," he replied, still giving her his back. "Even with that knowledge, you still have him in your life."

"It's different with Bill. And I'm not going back with Quinn, or anyone else. And as for this bond, well I'm still not sure how everything works. Andre pushed this on us, and I admit I didn't initially take it as if we were committing to each other. You make it sound like I purposely ran out on you. It just wasn't like that."

"I know. But the tiger knew. He should have told you."

"Well he didn't, and had I known, things would have been different."

They stayed silent for a moment.

Sookie rubbed her tired eyes. "But what about you; is there someone you've met during this time we've been apart? Are you with her now? Is that why you haven't come to—"

"No one. There has never been anyone but you."

Sookie hopped down from the counter and embraced Eric from behind, placing her head on his back, which still had a few lingering beads of water trailing downward on it. "Then the rumors?"

"I tried to forget you and pay you in kind like you had paid me with the tiger. I wanted to erase what I felt for you."

"Did you?"

"I failed."

Sookie scoffed.

"What must I do to convince you? Say it and it shall be done." Eric put his hands on hers while she embraced him.

"I don't know, Eric. I'm scared. I'm scared you're going to hurt me—just like Bill and Quinn."

"Sookie." Eric turned around and gently cupped her face in his hands.

"I-I love you, Eric," Sookie admitted

Eric's face registered his surprise.

"And I want to be with you. I have to know if we can move past this. I have to know if you love me, too."

He put his arms around her and held her tightly as he looked her in the eyes. "How could I not? I pledged myself to you tonight, woman. I vowed to meet the sun if you were not with me. Do you not understand the importance of my pledge? Why do you think I was so angry with you tonight? I almost lost you, Sookie . . . and I do not want to be without you. I need you, kvinna. I need you more than I am willing to admit."

"Kvinna?"

"It means woman in my tongue," Eric explained, bending down to nuzzle her nose with his.

"Woman?" Sookie asked, her knees about to give way at hearing Eric's confession.

"Yes, _my_ woman." Eric paused, then kissed her lips delicately, locking his blue eyes in an intense gaze with hers. "My _only_ woman," he whispered in her ear. He slid his hands down her back and to her backside, squeezing her as he pulled her to him.

"Eric." Sookie uttered his name with a moan. "Do you really mean that?"

The Viking turned his bonded around, and stood behind her. He placed her elbows on the towel resting on the counter. "I am not good with words, Lover. Let me prove to you that you are my one and only kvinna." He bent down and buried his face in her hair.

Sookie stared at him in the mirror and moaned as his hardness pressed against her back.

Gradually, he slid down to his knees lingering momentarily to kiss her shoulders and back.

"Eric, what . . . what are you doing?"

The devious vampire issued her a mischievous smile and answered, "Guess, Lover." He opened his mouth and kissed her round backside one cheek at a time.

Sookie smiled at Eric's actions, but quickly gasped when he snaked his long, cool hand in between her legs, stopping at her moist center and rimming it teasingly with his finger before he plunged it inside. Sookie widened her legs, letting her bonded go deeper in her as he expertly caressed her clit and continued to kiss her ass.

"Eric . . . " Sookie moaned.

The Viking spread her legs open even more and bent her forward onto the counter, swiftly moving his tongue to where his finger was. Just a few licks on her hardened nub with his skillful tongue had her screaming his name.

"Eric!" she exclaimed, watching his every movement on the mirror.

He abruptly stood up, wrapped his arm around her waist, and lifted her body to his as he stood behind her. He licked his lips dry of her essences. "Rest assured, I will never feed from another again, Lover. Only you, Sookie, can quench the appetites. I desire only you."

"Eric."

"I want you, Sookie," he said, pressing himself on her. "I _need_ you, Lover."

"I do too, Eric. I need you so much." Struggling to catch her breath, she paused before adding, "Get inside me, Eric, please." She braced herself on the counter, anxiously looking at the mirror for his reply.

Eric's fangs ran down as he took hold of her from behind, entering her wet core quickly, making her gasp loudly at the sudden intrusion.

Sookie put her hands on the counter, hoping to balance herself as Eric frenziedly thrust into her, her breasts swaying as the sound of their striking flesh filled the room.

"Eric!" Sookie shouted, on the brink of orgasm.

"Du har förbannat mig, kvinna!" Eric yelled, as Sookie's tight walls gripped around him like a vise.

"Faster, Eric. Faster, please."

Eric put one of his hands on her dripping mound and the other under her arm and across her chest. He pulled her towards him and he started thrusting into her as she commanded.

They looked at each other in the mirror as Eric pumped her, bringing Sookie ever closer to her climax.

"Kvinna! Du har förbannat mig! Du tar livet av mig!"

Sookie reached her orgasm and shouted his name, her body shuddering uncontrollably as he thrust into her once more, spilling his release in her.

"Du . . . tar . . . livet . . . livet av mig," he panted out, fighting to control the bloodlust in him that demanded more of her blood. Completely spent, he slumped forward on her body repeating the words from his native tongue into her ear while he nuzzled her neck.

Sookie didn't know what he said, but she convinced herself he had said he loved her as well, even though he could have been asking her if the Corvette's lights were on when they came inside the club.

Eric pulled out of Sookie and slumped down to the floor, planting a kiss on her back as he slid down. Her legs wobbled, and unable to hold her position, Eric reached up and sat her down in between his legs before she fell. He quickly embraced her from behind and began to kiss and nuzzle the side of her neck. Eric pulled his fangs in. "I've waited a long time for you to tell me that," he said, in between kisses. "Say it again to me, Lover. Say it to me every day."

"Get inside me, Eric, please?" she answered, earning a loud chuckle from her Viking.

"Tease," he uttered, nibbling her ear. "You know what words I mean, Lover."

"What words?" Sookie asked, feigning innocence.

"You are cruel, woman. Utterly vicious." Eric hugged her tightly as he nuzzled her neck. "Tell me, Sookie."

Sookie pulled away from his embrace and turned to look at him. "I love you, Eric."

"Hmm, perhaps if you said my entire name, Lover, just so there would be no mistake as to which Eric you are referring to."

"Oh really? Is that so?"

"We would not want another Eric to causally walk by and get confused you were speaking to him, now would we?"

"Yes, I see your point," Sookie replied. "I love you, Eric Northman, big bad vampire Sheriff of Area Five," she said and they both began to laugh.

"My kvinna," Eric whispered, kissing her lips. "My one and only."

"Ditto." Sookie wrapped her arms around Eric's neck and passionately returned his kiss while she sat in his lap, her aching core letting her know it had still not sated its appetite for the Viking.

Eric pulled back, grazing his fingertips over her breasts."What is this _ditto_, Lover? You have mentioned it twice tonight."

"It's from a romance movie called _Ghost_. I can't explain it you. You just have to see the movie."

"All right, when I rise tomorrow we will watch it." Eric was curious to solve the mystery around the small word.

"Okay, I'll bring the movie and some tissues," Sookie said.

Eric looked at his bonded in surprise. "Tissues, Lover?"

"Yes, the move's a tearjerker. You'll cry your eyes out."

"My Lover, I might be moved, but a Viking does not cry."

"Sorry, Mr. Tough Viking vampire," she said, kissing his nose lightly. "All right then. You'll be moved. I guess I'll take the tissues for me. That theme song gets me every time."

Eric chuckled as he embraced her tightly and kissed her neck.

Since he seemed to be in such a good mood, Sookie dared to ask him, "What did you say just now, Eric? Those words in your native tongue?"

Eric gave her a quick squeeze. "You have cursed me, woman. You are my undoing."

Sookie jerked her body back and out of his embrace. "What? Well, how romantic, Mr. Northman," she replied, her words laced with discontent.

"It is by far the greatest compliment I could ever say to you," Eric said, pulling her close and kissing her lips softly.

"What? Are you insane? You're complimenting me by telling me that I'm your curse and your undoing? How the hell is that a compliment?" Sookie's good mood had quickly dissipated, and all she wanted was to be out of his arms.

"Let me explain, Lover. It is most certainly a compliment because I am a warrior and to be an effective warrior means I cannot afford to have any distractions. But, I simply cannot bring myself to concentrate on anything around you, Lover. You are the undoing to my warrior's ethos. How else do you explain how I got shot today, by a human, while we were making love, not once but twice? I am enthralled by you, woman." Eric held her firmly in place, placing his forehead on hers.

"Oh, Eric." Sookie stopped trying to get away and caressed the sides of his face before she kissed him passionately on his lips.

"You know, I am going to have to hire an armed guard to watch over us when we make love. My life is in peril when I am around you."

They both laughed.

"I guess we have to take another shower, my darling," Eric said, in between kisses. "It's getting late and I want to show you your new home. We will take Pam's car." He lifted himself off the floor and pulled her up with him.

"Eric, before we take a shower, can I ask you a question? Actually it's more of a request," Sookie asked delicately.

"A request? What is it, Lover?"

"Well, ever since the day I met you, I've had this . . . well . . . "

"Yes?"

"I've had this f-fantasy. Something I've always wanted to do with you," Sookie said in almost a whisper.

Eric lifted her head up so he could look into her grey-blue eyes. "A fantasy, Sookie?"

"Yes, could you indulge me?"

"Well, only if you kiss my ass." They both laughed and Eric squeezed her tightly.

"I can do that," Sookie said. "It'd be my pleasure."

"All right, Lover. What do you have in mind?"

* * *

TRANSLATIONS: (Thanks again, Maria Terese! *hugs*)

**Kvinna** – woman

**Du tar livet av mig** – You are my undoing

**Du har förbannat mig** – You have cursed me

* * *

**A/N:** That Sookie, what a kiss ass! LOL Okay, wrapping it up folks! Good Lord, this story is longer than Eric's d*ck.

**A/N: 2** —Jan 2010—So this chapter was the whole reason I decided to do a re-write of the whole story. So many things didn't add up before, such as I didn't address Eric's infidelity at all. I just saw erect Eric and my mind went numb. What infidelity? LOL

So, I decided to have Sookie and Eric bring it out into the open and come to terms with it. Hope you liked it! Now, I am totally in love with how this chapter and the entire story came out in the re-write.

A big** THANKS** to all of you who have taken the time to leave a review. Thanks for showing me you care. It truly means a lot to me.


	16. Sheriff Sookie's Conspiracy

Disclaimer: The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

*TIGHT NAKED ERIC HUGS* To: Maria Terese for her awesome help in the mouthwatering Swedish translations! Thanks, girl!

June 2013 - Updated

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

"All right," Eric said. "What do you have in mind?"

"Come here, I want to show you." Sookie took Eric by the hand and led him out to the main floor of the club, stopping in front of his throne.

Eric immediately thought he knew what Sookie had in mind.

"Eric, promise me if I tell you . . . promise you won't make fun of me."

Eric flashed his trademark smirk. "I will not laugh. I promise you, Lover," he stated, tracing his fingers on her shoulders. He liked how Sookie was opening herself up to him and how eager she was to start marking her territory.

Sookie was still a little hesitant to confide her secret, so she thought of something she had done when she was a child. "Eric, do you pinkie swear you won't laugh?" she asked, holding out her pinkie finger.

"What?" Eric furrowed his brow, bemused by her question.

"Do you pinkie swear?" She paused at seeing Eric's confused expression. "How can I explain?" She tapped her chin. "See, pinkie swearing is a solemn oath you make, like an unbreakable vow, where you agree to do something and not go back on your word. It's a human girl thing. Well if you agree not to laugh, then you give me your pinkie, I give you mine, we cross them, and then we say 'pinkie swear'. Well, what do you say?"

Eric used his thousand years of acquired restraint to hold back from laughing, since he gathered Sookie wanted to have sex with him on his throne, and that was just one of many fantasies he wanted fulfilled as well. "All right, Lover. I will comply with your request." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "You truly are my undoing," Eric related, holding out his pinkie finger and interlacing it with hers.

"Well, you have to say it," Sookie prodded innocently.

Eric murmured, "I pinkie swear."

"Eric, I'm not a Supe, I can barely hear you," Sookie insisted. "Please, for me?" She snaked one of her arms around his waist and squeezed him to her, kissing his nipple and sucking its tip.

"I pinkie swear," he said louder, his aching dick taking control of his vocal cords.

Sookie got on the tips of her toes, and stretched herself to kiss him on the lips, making a loud smacking sound. "Okay." She whispered into his ear her most intimate fantasy.

Eric belted out a loud, boisterous laugh. "Your fantasy is to do what?" he asked, still laughing loudly.

Sookie quickly pushed him away, turning around and covering her face. "You pinkie swore you wouldn't laugh, Eric!" she yelled, walking away from him, visibly hurt and distressed.

In his vampire speed, Eric got in front of her, trying to regain his composure. He never expected Sookie to have such an extremely amusing fantasy.

"Forgive me, Lover. Your request caught me off guard. I was not expecting that at all," he said, still smiling.

"That's all right. I know it's stupid. Let's just go shower and put on our clothes so we can go to your house. I'm tired anyways." Sookie kept her gaze downward, and tried to move past him, embarrassed at her confession.

Eric's smile disappeared as he felt through the bond how hurt Sookie was, and how his laughter had affected her. "No, Lover. I will grant your request," he said, in a serious and emotionless tone.

"No, it's okay, Eric. You don't have to. Besides, I'm not in the mood anymore. I just thought since you like to dress up as different people . . . just forget it. I don't know why I brought it up," she said, tears already welling in her eyes.

Eric cupped her face in his hands. "Lover, look at me," he said, while Sookie avoided his gaze. "It was not my intention to offend you, though it seems I have regrettably done so."

Sookie slightly nodded, her eyes still not meeting his gaze. "It's all right."

Eric bent his knees to meet her line of sight. "Lover, look at me. What is this about me being different people?"

Sookie looked into his eyes while he ran his thumbs over her cheekbones. "Well, I meant the way you always have costumes on. Like the glasses you wore when we went to Club Dead, and when you pretended to be Leif in Dallas. But, just forget it. C'mon, let's just go to your house."

"No, I do not wish to go to _our_ home, just yet. Sookie," he whispered her name and the word echoed into her ears, like a caress. He straightened his body up, locking eyes with her. He held her close and mouthed, "I am sorry," into her warm, moist mouth. He traced his cool tongue on her sensual lips and then kissed them tenderly as he stroked her back. "Come, Lover," he said, pulling back from her. "This is your fantasy, darling. I will see it through." He led her to his throne and sat her down.

"Eric . . . "

Eric ignored her protest and walked a few steps away. He began to talk as if he was reciting lines from a script. "Mistress, I am Leif. I hail from the State of California, but I have recently relocated to Louisiana for personal reasons. I stand before you to introduce myself, and I hereby respectfully ask to be allowed to remain in your area."

Sookie still looked uncomfortable in Eric's throne, but said in a low voice, "That's not how it's supposed to be."

Eric raised an eyebrow at her, then relaxed, when he realized she lacked the knowledge of how he ran his area. He dismissed her statement and instead took in the sight of his beloved sitting naked on his throne.

"Did I do something wrong, Mistress?" he asked, placing his arms behind his waist.

"Well . . ." Sookie paused, unsure if Eric would laugh at her again.

"Yes, my Mistress?" Eric asked, straightening his body and taking a serious stance as if he was her most loyal subject.

Seeing him so sincere, Sookie summoned her courage and spoke. "Well, aren't you supposed to wait until I summon you? I'm the Sheriff, remember? You can't come up to me and speak unless I summon you first.

Eric flashed her one of his smiles. "Of course, how could I be so forgetful? Your beauty has clouded my thoughts. I implore you to show mercy at my offense, Mistress," he pleaded, bringing his right hand to his chest in supplication.

"Viking, I'll show you mercy, just this once," Sookie said, fully integrated into her role. She paused and whispered to him. "Well, go stand over there and then casually glance my way. I'll be sitting here all sexy serious, just like somebody I know, and then I'll summon you, okay?"

Eric tried not to laugh as he walked to where she pointed to, and found their role-playing a welcome change of pace from the earlier events of the evening. Just as she asked, he turned around and looked at the ceiling. Slowly, he turned around to face the throne and almost jumped back at the sight before him.

Sookie sat at his throne with her right foot laying over the armrest, her body shifted to the left—shamelessly exposing her wet sex to him.

Eric never recalled sitting in his throne in that manner, but he was not about to correct the telepath, especially since he found such pleasure in her present position. He couldn't stop a mischievous smile from creeping on his lips when Sookie beckoned him to her by crooking her finger invitingly. He paused, unsure if he should move closer or remain where he was.

Sookie whispered over to him, "Psst, Eric, I'm summoning you now. Come closer."

Eric found her voice and playful eyes so endearing, he had to clear his throat so he could begin his speech once more. "Mistress, I am Leif. I hail from the State of California, but have recently relocated to Louisiana for personal reasons. I stand before you to introduce myself and I hereby respectfully ask to be allowed to remain in your area."

"I see," Sookie said, very solemnly. "And what are these _personal reasons_? Are you by any chance a troublemaker, Leif? Because I'll have you know—I don't take kindly to troublemakers in my area."

"No, Mistress. I am not a troublemaker. I relocated to Louisiana because I grew tired of the California weather."

"I see. Hmm . . . likely story. Well, Leif, tell me a little bit about yourself," Sookie said. "I find the dossier you provided to my office very lacking. It only mentions your age and that you were a Viking. However, it mentions nothing about your special abilities or qualities. Please . . . enlighten me." Sookie raised her eyebrow disdainfully.

_Dossier?_ Eric smiled at his lover's cleverness and last minute addition. _She will make an excellent vampire Sheriff one day._ "Yes, Mistress, it seems my paperwork was damaged in my travels. My main abilities include glamouring and flying, and my main quality is loyalty. I can assure you, if you allow me to remain by your side, I will be your most faithful and loyal subject, my Mistress."

"Hmm, is that right?" Sookie asked. "I expect complete loyalty, Leif, anything less and you shall meet the sun. Is this understood?"

Eric nodded.

"So glamouring and flying? Those abilities are kinda run of the mill stuff. Is there anything else you can do to impress me, and convince me to let you stay here?" Sookie stroked her thighs invitingly.

Eric ran his fangs down, and knelt down in front of the throne in the blink of an eye, eyeing her lasciviously, unsure where to begin his sweet assault. "Mistress, I humbly ask for permission to touch you."

She gave no answer, and limited her response to widening her legs and licking her lips playfully.

Eric bent down, tracing his cool tongue on her slick folds, then thrust his tongue in and out of her sex, eliciting moans of sweet pleasure from his bonded. In no time, she felt her orgasm quickly build under his expert touch.

"Oh, Eric—I mean Leif, this needs to be added to your dossier!" Sookie exclaimed, succumbing to the Viking's skills.

He took hold of her thighs, widened her legs, and plunged into her with his tongue, expertly tapping on her hardened clit.

"Oh . . . " Sookie didn't last long, especially after his hands roamed over her body, and she quickly climaxed. Since they were alone, she no longer felt embarrassed and fisted Eric's hair, pulling him into her throbbing sex while she screamed in pleasure and bucked her hips wildly. When her last orgasm wave subsided, she finally let go of the tight grip she had on Eric's head and relaxed her body back, slumping down in the chair, her legs trembling for the second time that night.

Eric ran his mouth down her thighs, smearing her juices on her, as her legs tingled from how sensitive she still was. _My sweet, sweet Sookie. _Eric drowned her legs in soft, fluttering kisses. _So insatiable for me. So fucking good._ He stood up. "Mistress, do I have your permission to sit on your throne?"

"Yes, you do," Sookie answered breathlessly. She didn't know if she could move anymore. Her body felt spent, but the look in Eric's eyes told her she should definitely try.

Thinking he was going to sit down, she was surprised when he swished by her and came back holding what looked to be a torn appliance cord. She didn't have to wait long to find out what he intended with it as he swiftly pulled her out of the throne, and tied her hands behind her back. He sat down on the throne and placed her on his thighs, his erection pressed on her back. Briefly breaking out of character, he whispered in her ear, "I am not done with you, yet."

His raspy voice sent her into a frenzy, and though part of her felt what she was doing was dirty, she quickly shut the thoughts out of her mind. She wanted to make Eric happy and no little voice in her head was going to stop her from giving her Viking what _he_ had fantasized for so long.

Her skin erupted in goose bumps as he moved her hair to the side and planted small kisses on her back, slowly moving up to kiss her shoulders and then her neck. She moaned. Each touch shot straight to her center, and she yearned to have more of him. She gasped when he lifted her up with ease, his hands under her breasts, and slowly set her down on his erection. She groaned as he moved his hands upwards, cupping her breasts.

"Kvinna," he said, slowly lifting and sliding her up and down his length, hitting her clit with every upward thrust. He leaned back on the throne, reveling in their lovemaking. "I have waited so long to do this," he whispered, before quickening his pace and bouncing her body on his. He slid his hands underneath her breasts once more and felt them bounce as he bucked his hips forward and fucked her like he had always wanted to.

Sookie was in complete ecstasy and shouted, "Oh, Leif, this . . . this _should definitely_ be added to your dossier!" Her walls began to close in on him, and he stopped his movements, tightly holding her down to him. She moaned loudly, having his length touch her cervix, stretching her like she had never been stretched.

Eric smiled at hearing her vocalize how he made her feel, and loosened his grip on her. He turned her sideways. He slowly latched onto one of her breasts and sucked on it gently. He lapped his tongue on her hardened nipple, while continuing to move her up and down his shaft once more. Sookie's walls gripped him again, and she moved her head back, climaxing once more. While the orgasm ripped through her body, Eric pumped her a few more times, and sank his fangs into her breast. She instantly came again and her whole body shuddered in pleasure while she exclaimed, "Ahhh, I love you, Eric. I love you!"

Eric tensed his body and released inside her, holding her down while his body was lost in a sea of ecstasy. "Jag älskar din fitta! Jag älskar att knulla din jävla fitta!" he shouted, while she milked him dry of everything he had.

Eric held her tightly, while they both rode their aftershocks, and came down from their heightened state. He reluctantly pulled out of her, and began leaving small, fluttering kisses on her back while he asked teasingly, "So, may I stay in your area, Sheriff?" He untied her hands and pulled his fangs in, eagerly awaiting her reply.

"That's Sheriff Sookie to you, Leif," Sookie replied, turning her body around and wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling exhilarated from what they had just done.

"A million pardons, Mistress. Sheriff Sookie, may I have the pleasure of staying in your area?" Eric asked her again, playfully.

"Yes, you may, Leif. You can definitely stay, but I think I'll keep my eyes on you. You have TROUBLE written all over your face." She kissed him on the lips, and then they both let out a hearty laugh.

"Jag älskar . . . jag älskar . . . " he mumbled, tracing his fingertips on her perfect jaw line. For the rest of the night, Eric found he couldn't stop smiling.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

There wasn't much she could see of _their_ new house at night, but what Sookie could make out took her breath away. Eric had bought a house in the ritzier part of Shreveport, and explained it was a two story, six bedroom, three bathroom home with a two car garage built on a two acre fenced property with access to a private lake out back.

"Baby, it sounds and looks wonderful," Sookie said, trying not to gasp at everything he mentioned and come across as a poor country cousin.

Eric furrowed his brow at her term of endearment, but held her hand and stated, "I bought this home for you."

"For me?" she asked as her _I-am-not-a-kept-woman_ inner voice surged within her, begging to be let out. "I don't know, Eric—"

"Yes, Lover, for you," he quickly interrupted. "I wanted you to be comfortable."

Sookie recalled Amelia's words earlier that night on how she was her own worst enemy and decided to bite her lip. Something told her Eric didn't have to buy her this house, and she was pretty sure he already had one, which better suited his needs, yet he had bought this house thinking about her comfort. She then remembered Sam's words, _"Let yourself be happy. You deserve it."_ Her friends were both right, she should just let herself be loved by Eric. Sookie squeezed Eric's hand and gave him a big smile. "Thank you, baby. I don't know what to say. I love it! Can I . . . can I invite my friends over here, too?" Sookie asked.

"This is your home, darling. You can do as you please." Eric kissed her hand.

"Thank you, Eric. Thank you so much." She kissed his cool cheek, while the house's black security gates opened and they drove in.

When Eric was about to drive inside the garage, Sookie asked him, "Can we go in through the front door—just this once?"

"Of course, Lover." He took her to the front door after he parked Pam's car. He opened the door gingerly, motioning her to step inside.

Sookie took a step, but paused at the doorway.

"Is there something wrong, Lover?"

"Eric, aren't you going to . . . you know? Carry me over the threshold?" Sookie looked up at him expectantly.

Eric quickly grasped the full meaning of her request. "Of course, my Lover," he replied, collecting her in his arms and entering the house. Once inside, he set her down gently, kissing her forehead as he embraced her, and closed the door behind him.

She yawned as they held each other, and Eric knew she wouldn't last awake much longer. He gave her a general run of the house and a notepad full of all the security codes, so she and a guest could come and go as they pleased, along with her very own set of house keys.

"Eric, are you sure you should have written this down? I mean what if someone found this paper?"

"Do not worry, Lover. I always take precautions. It can only be read by someone I've exchanged blood with, within the last twenty-four hours. To any other person, it would appear as a blank sheet of paper. I happen to know some very resourceful witches."

"O-okay, then," Sookie replied, glad he had taken the precautions to ensure his safety.

Sookie continued to yawn and close her eyes while he gave her all the information, and Eric knew her body had reached its limits. He was glad they had showered at Fangtasia already, so all they had to do was just climb in bed and rest. He collected her in his arms and took her straight up the stairs, to their bedroom.

Sookie gasped from the sudden movement and once upstairs, asked Eric to let her down so she could take a better look at the room. He complied, and the first thing she noticed was how plainly decorated it was, since the only two furnishings in the large bedroom were a king-sized bed and two nightstands on either side of it. The window treatments—as she had heard a woman call curtains nowadays—were an eggshell white, and she wondered how the flimsy fabric kept out the sun. She lifted them and discovered they were merely there for decoration, as there were no windows behind them. "Baby . . . "

Eric cringed at this new term of endearment Sookie had adopted for him and hoped she wouldn't call him that around Pam. He'd be doomed for all eternity if she did.

"This room has no windows. How am I supposed to get you out if there is a fire or an emergency?" she asked, thinking of the incident at Rhodes, and how she had thrown his coffin out the window.

"There's an emergency exit in the closet, Lover. Here let me show you." Eric showed her the emergency exit and also told her there was a panic room set up in the basement of the house where they could wait out almost any kind of emergency.

"But how will you wake up? It took me forever to wake you up last time."

"You have more of my blood in you, darling, and you can easily awaken me with that. Our bond is strong, Lover, never forget that."

Sookie nodded and Eric continued to explain all of the precautions he had installed in the house, then led her into their closet. The large room made her squeal in joy while she hugged him tightly.

"I love it, Eric! It's all so beautiful. Thank you so much for everything tonight."

"I can assure you, it has been my pleasure, Lover, or should I say, Sheriff Sookie?"

She nudged him a bit with her elbow and yawned again as they chuckled. "Baby, is there something more comfortable I could wear to sleep?"

"Of course, Lover. I bought these for you. Picked them out myself." Eric showed her some lingerie.

"Is that so? I can just imagine the shopping trip." Sookie smiled. "I didn't bring any clothes from back home. Did you by any chance buy any clothes to go with them?"

"No," Eric said. "Just these."

"Well, someone sure has a one-track mind."

Eric laughed.

She took off her clothes in front of him and chose to put on a black negligee with thin spaghetti straps and some black lace underwear. Eric reveled in the fact she was getting so comfortable around him and disrobed as well.

They made their way into the bed and Eric handed Sookie a remote.

"What does this control?" she asked.

He showed her which buttons controlled the lights in the room, the temperature, and the TV.

"There's a TV in here?"

Eric pressed a button on the remote and it raised a large flat screen TV from the floor right in front of the bed.

"Wow! That's so neat! Do you have all the premium movie channels or just the basic ones?" Sookie asked, yawning again.

"I am not sure. I am not one to channel surf, Lover. I just watch the financial news or watch the stock market. Unfortunately, I lack the time to watch TV."

"Oh, how sad. Can I see what channels you have, or does it bother you to have the TV on?"

"No, Lover. I am a deep sleeper. In fact, I sleep like the dead." Eric chuckled at his joke.

Sookie smiled weakly, her eyes closing, already drifting to sleep.

Eric turned on the TV and started flipping through the channels.

Sookie snuggled up to him. "Goodnight, baby. I love you," she whispered, drifting off into her dreams.

Eric lay down beside her and embraced her in his powerful arms, inhaling her sweet scent. Finally, after such a long wait, the only scent he could smell on Sookie was his—and his only. It was his plan to keep it that way. "You are mine, Sookie," Eric said softly into her ear. "You are finally all mine."

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

The next day, in the early afternoon when she finally awoke, Sookie found herself tightly wrapped around a large Viking. Eric had his arm around her and it took her awhile to figure out a way to slide out of his embrace. The only light in the room came from the TV, which was still on, giving her the latest stock quotes. She left it the way it was, since she was not sure if Eric liked the TV left on as he slept.

As she stepped off the bed, Sookie couldn't help but stare at Eric lying there in his resting state. He looked so peaceful and it even seemed like he was smiling. She bent down and softly kissed his lips, leaving a trail of kisses from his neck to his belly button. She kissed him back up to his face and kissed his forehead, whispering in his ear, "You're mine, Eric. Finally, you're all mine."

She couldn't help the giggle which escaped her lips as she climbed off the large bed, and set out to look for a bathroom. Even though Eric had told her there was a bathroom attached to the master bedroom, she decided to go downstairs to look for another one. She didn't feel comfortable taking care of her human needs so close to Eric, because of his super sensitive nose, and was glad she found another bathroom at the bottom of the stairs where she could undergo her morning routine.

She searched for some towels and found them in a nearby closet, and as she looked around the house, she couldn't help but wonder why it looked so impersonal and sparsely decorated. She half expected there to be a Viking boat in the middle of the living room full of Eric's memorabilia from his long life, and surmised that maybe Eric wasn't the type of guy to care for knickknacks. She set her questions aside and set off to the shower.

After showering, she wrapped a towel around her body, and took out the hairdryer. She took some time drying her hair. Apparently Claudine's spell had expired as her hair hung down normally. Just as she wondered what she was going to wear since she had no clothes, Sookie heard her cell phone ring.

She ran out to the hallway, looking for her cell. "Hello! Oh, Great-Grandfather! How are you? Well, all right. Give me five minutes. I'll be right out." Sookie quickly went upstairs and threw on a lacy bra and panty set, with one of Eric's shirts on top. Following the instructions Eric had left her, she made her way outside the house's gates, locking the front door behind her.

"Good afternoon, child. I trust all is well?" Niall asked from the other side of the front gate.

"Just perfect, Great-Grandfather."

"Reach your hand out to me, child," he softly commanded, and Sookie complied, putting her hand out through the barred gate. Once her hand was clear of the gate, he quickly took hold of it and a loud popping noise filled the air.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
BON TEMPS  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•

"Surprise!" Claude, Claudine, Amelia, Tara, and Niall yelled out to her as she materialized in her living room in Bon Temps, which had a big CONGRATULATIONS banner attached to the ceiling. She also noticed different kinds of foods and drinks set up on her kitchen table.

"Oh, wow! Y'all threw me a party? Thank you so much, you guys! I'm so glad y'all are here," Sookie said, looking at the people she cherished the most in the world.

"Woah! Looks like someone had a late night last night," Amelia commented, hugging her friend. "Let's give her a moment to get dressed, folks."

Everyone agreed and after they gave her a moment, Sookie rejoined her friends.

"Thanks again for this, you guys. I'm overwhelmed," Sookie said.

Amelia gave her a glass of champagne.

"Champagne, Amelia? I think it's a little too early in the day for that."

"It's a quarter to four in the afternoon, girlfriend."

"Oh, really? Well, I just got up, and—"

"Oh, come on, you know what they say," Amelia began to say.

Sookie felt faint as Amelia broadcasted loudly, _Fine liquor is just like sex. It's never too early or too late to have it! _Sookie shifted uneasily_. Oh, please. Please don't say that out loud, Amelia!_

"Fine liquor is just like se—" Amelia stopped as Niall gave her a harsh stare. "Well, never mind what they say." Amelia coughed nervously. "Everyone, gather around! A toast is in order, and I want to make the first one of many. To my friend, Sookie Stackhouse, former barmaid, telepath extraordinaire, who accomplished the impossible—well besides being able to walk today after last night."

"Amelia!" the guests yelled out to her and rolled their eyes.

"Sorry, sorry. Yes, where was I? Yes, a toast for my friend Sookie, for accomplishing the impossible: ending the bachelor days of Eric Northman! Hear! Hear!"

The guests clinked their glasses together and took a sip of their drink.

"Child."

Everyone turned to look at Niall.

"When I asked you if there was anything I could do for you, I expected you to ask me for wealth, knowledge, or things of this nature. Never did I imagine you would ask me to find a way for you to have the exclusive love of a vampire, especially that vampire being the infamous Eric Northman, whose bachelor reputation is widely known throughout all the realms."

Amelia mumbled under her breath, "Yea, he's known for his bachelor reputation and for the size of his huge d—"

"Amelia!" the guests yelled out to her again.

"Sorry, sorry! Continue Prince," Amelia bowed.

"As I was saying," Niall said, giving Amelia another stare down. "I, like everyone else in this room, immediately thought the task impossible because everyone knows how difficult it is to make a vampire remain faithful to one partner, or as it more commonly referred to in my realm: Wake The Blood of the Dead. However, we are gathered here to celebrate, that in fact, we did accomplish our goal and Eric Northman has pledged his fealty to my great-granddaughter and to none other. I would also like to toast to King Felipe De Castro, without whose interference last night, none of this would have occurred. Let us toast to that! Hear! Hear!"

"I'll definitely toast to that hot piece of ass-as-astounding king," Amelia corrected herself, coughing loudly to hide her faux pas in front of the Prince. "Hear! Hear!" she added as everyone clinked their glasses once more.

Tara, Claudine, and Claude all made toasts to Sookie as well, and while Sookie tried to listen to what they said, she couldn't keep Niall's words out of her head.

_Is Niall right? If Felipe hadn't tried to take me last night, would Eric ever have sworn fealty to me?_ Sookie felt a knot in her stomach and wondered if it was due to having liquor first thing in the morning or because of the unpleasant revelation her Great-grandfather had just said. _Oh, don't you start, Sookie!_ she told herself_. I will not let you be my worst enemy any longer. Eric is not Bill or Quinn. He's with me and I'm going to trust him, and love him. I know he loves me; I know he does._

"Sooks?" Tara asked.

Sookie smiled. "Thank you so much, you guys!" Sookie said, shaking the doubts from her head. "I want to thank you all for coming and sharing with me the happiest day of my life so far. I couldn't have done it without all of your help and support."

All her friends and family nodded.

"Tara, thanks for all your great advice. I really needed that. Amelia, thanks for all your humor and great advice and never being afraid to tell it to me straight. Great-grandfather, thank you letting me use the truth serum so Eric and I could finally talk to each other without—excuse my language—the B.S. It really made the difference. Claudine, thanks for always showing up at the right moment and for styling my hair so irresistibly perfect. Claude, thanks so much for . . . wait. What exactly did you do Claude?" Sookie asked.

Everyone turned to stare at Claude.

"Not a damn thing. Claudine said to come over for a free drink and here I am."

The group all laughed and raised their glasses to drink.

"Child." Niall placed his glass down and held both of Sookie's hands in his. "Are you truly happy, dear?"

"Yes, Great-Grandfather. I truly am. Thank you for all your help."

"Then I am glad for you as well, dear one. If you should ever have need of me again, please remember I am always here for you, child," Niall said.

"Thank you, Great-Grandfather."

Niall embraced Sookie and was preparing to say farewell when Amelia interrupted.

"Wait, Prince. Before you go, we have to begin our plan of attack to make Eric marry Sookie in a human ceremony! We have to sell a wedding to a thousand-year-old former bachelor. That is no easy task. We're going to need all the help we can get."

"Amelia, I'm sure my great-grandfather is very busy. Thank you, sir, but I think we'll do all right. I'll call you if we need anything. Thank you again," Sookie stated, winking at Amelia.

"Farewell, child," Niall said.

Niall popped away and Amelia, Tara, and Claudine all gathered around Sookie.

Amelia quickly grabbed Sookie's arm. "What do you mean you don't need help in getting Eric to marry you? Wait! Holy shit! Why, you little tramp! You got Eric to play _Sheriff_ didn't you? Is that why you're so sure of yourself?"

Sookie giggled and nodded while the three girls roared with laughter.

Amelia embraced Sookie. "Sookie, you're my hero! Holy shit, I can't believe you got Eric to do that."

Claude was confused. "Just what is this playing _Sheriff_ thing about?"

The four girls all said, "Nothing!" They all started to laugh again.

"Boy, I'm glad I ain't straight. Y'all are crazy," Claude said, and the girls laughed even harder.

"Oh, and one more thing! One more thing," Sookie said to quiet down the girls. "We are watching _Ghost_ as soon as he wakes up," Sookie announced.

"Oh, really?" Amelia sighed. "I bet I know what the first song at the wedding's going to be."

The four girls starting singing, "Whoaaaa my love . . ." from the song, "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers.

As the girls continued to sing, Claudine raised her glass again. "To Sookie!"

Amelia added, "To the future Mrs. Eric Northman!"

"To my friends," Sookie finished, and everyone drowned their drink.

* * *

TRANSLATIONS: (Thanks again, Maria Terese! *hugs*)

Jag älskar – I love

* * *

**A/N:** OMG! It was a conspiracy! Poor Eric, everyone against him! Next chapter is the surprise ending!

THANKS TO ALL who have left a review. You're awesome! Thanks so much for supporting me, and letting me in on your thoughts.

Please leave a review and tell me what you think Eric loves. He's such a naughty Viking—whatever could it be?


	17. A Pinkie Swear Ending

Disclaimer: The Southern Vampire Series, and all characters from it, is owned by Charlaine Harris. The original characters and plot from my fan fiction are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

*TIGHT ERIC HUGS* To: Maria Terese for 'hooking me up' with all the tasty Swedish language. Mmm! Delish!

June 2013 - Updated

This story was originally published on 3/19/09. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

Amelia added, "To the future Mrs. Eric Northman!"

"To my friends," Sookie finished, and everyone drowned their drink.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
SHREVEPORT  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•

When the sun finally set, Eric woke to the incredible sensation of feeling his length encased in Sookie's hot, wet mouth.

She sucked on his hard tip, caressing his jewels with her hand. She gave him one hard suck before pulling his dick out of her mouth and moving up on the bed to embrace him. "Good morning, or actually good evening, baby."

"Why do you insist on calling me an infant, Lover?" he asked, planting a kiss on her delicate nose.

"It's a term of endearment. Or would you rather I called you hunny bunny? I think I like that one better."

"The infant term it is, Lover," Eric said.

Sookie laughed. "Are you going to Fangtasia later on tonight?" she asked him.

"Yes, right after we watch this ditto ghost," Eric replied.

"Baby, the movie is called _Ghost _and they say the phrase, 'ditto'. The ghost isn't called ditto." Sookie chuckled. She stared at him and suddenly grew quiet.

"What is it my Lover?" Eric asked, kissing her and rolling her on top of him.

"I'm just looking at you and thinking how cute you are."

"Cute?" Eric chuckled.

"Yes, you are the cutest Viking vampire in all of Shreveport," Sookie innocently whispered.

"Darling, I am the _only_ Viking vampire in Shreveport."

"And therefore, hands down, the cutest. No contest at all." Her comment brought a smile to his lips and they continued to softly kiss before Eric took her into his arms and they made love, slowly and passionately. As they both reached their climax and exchanged more endearments, Eric finally managed to pull himself off Sookie and got out of bed. "Come Lover, let's shower so we can watch the ditto, and I can take care of some things at Fangtasia."

"If you don't mind, baby, I don't want to take a shower just yet," Sookie whispered, squeezing her legs together, feeling lost without him being inside her.

Eric gave her a puzzled look.

"I'm not dirty or anything, baby, it's just that I . . . " She grabbed a pillow and put it over her head, embarrassed she was confessing her thoughts to him.

"Yes, darling?" Eric asked.

"I . . . love smelling you on me. I love your scent on my body," Sookie confessed, moving the pillow slightly to expose only one of her eyes, so she could see his reaction.

Eric moved in his vampire speed and was on her in a mere second, the pillow flying across the room. "You're driving me mad with lust, kvinna," he whispered.

After making love two more times, they finally showered and made it downstairs to watch _Ghost_.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•  
FANGTASIA  
•Oo•Oo•Oo•

"Master," Pam called out to Eric as he walked into the club. The employees motioned over to him as well and he made his way to his office.

"I'm surprised you found the time to grace us with your presence tonight," Pam muttered with a chuckle, then tensed her body when she smelled blood. "Is everything all right, Master?"

"Of course, Pam. What makes you say that?"

"I could swear I smell drops of blood on your face," Pam stated, looking at him intensely. _Has he been crying?_ She was amazed she could even think the possibility.

"Oh, that. It's been awhile since I drove the jeep and I forgot to put the top up. An insidious insect lodged itself in my eye. It was quite the ordeal to dislodge it. Are there any invoices for me to sign?" Eric mentioned, quickly changing the subject.

"Some; I've left them on your desk. By the way, there were several things I had to contend with when I arrived at work," Pam started to say.

"Things?"

"Yes, we were down a register today, by the bar. Seems someone yanked the cord straight off the appliance. Any thoughts on who could have—"

"I tripped on the wire," he answered curtly. "Buy another register," he added, tiring of her comments. "Pam, Sookie is bringing your car in later tonight. She had to go get something to eat. Could you show her in when she arrives?" Eric asked, in a dismissive tone. He pulled his gaze back to the paperwork on his desk.

"Hmm," Pam muttered, hoping Sookie brought her car back in one piece. "There was also another issue with the security cameras I had to deal with today," Pam related, ignoring his request to leave.

"Another issue?" Eric asked, half interestedly, as he was paying more attention to the paperwork in front of him.

"Well, it seems the cameras were left on last night," Pam began.

"On, you say? Interesting," he mumbled, sorting the invoices from the paid receipts.

"Master, if I may ask you something. I need six nights off work next week."

"Time off?" Eric paused looking at his papers and stared at the vampiress.

"Yes, I wish to travel to Paris."

"Oh?" Eric tilted his head back down and engrossed himself in the paperwork, trying to hurry so he could spend some more time with Sookie. "Did you say Paris?" he mentioned weakly.

"Yes, I wish to travel to Paris. It is quite lovely this time of year," Pam stated.

Eric rummaged through his papers and looked up momentarily from what he was doing. "I'm sorry, Pam, but that is impossible. I need you here at Fangtasia. Sookie and I are going to travel as well, and I need you in charge of things."

"Yes, it seems you are enthralled with your new toy. Far be it from me to take your time away from her. After all, I am only here to mind your interests, isn't that it? Well, rest assured, _Boss_, I have trained a second to replace me. If there are any problems, they can contact me."

"No, Pam. Your timing could not have come at a worse time, and Sookie is not my toy. I expect you to measure your words around her."

_Is he warning me?_ She raised her eyebrow at him. "And what words shall I limit to speaking when you send her back to Bon Temps in six months?"

"Why the hell would I do that?" Eric replied, about to lose his patience with his child.

"You specifically stated you wanted me to get you a sparsely decorated home for six months so you could be with her, or have you forgotten?" _Will that be enough time to fuck her out of his system or will he tire of her sooner than that?_

"About that—"

"Yes?"

"I have changed my mind. It is an excellent property, and I do not doubt its value will increase; buy it."

"Wow. That must truly be one hell of a . . . property . . . to make you change your mind in just one night," Pam teased.

"That is enough, Pam. As you can see I have much work to do, and I cannot spend all night talking to you. In regards to your trip, perhaps you can travel in a few months, but certainly not now. Do not worry, child, Paris will still be there. Now if you could you please wait for Sookie outside," Eric said, pointing to his door before going back to work.

"Do you give me your word on that, Master?"

"Of course," Eric replied, shuffling some papers around.

"Master, do you . . . pinkie swear?" Pam smiled.

Eric dropped what he was doing, and with a mortified look on his face, looked up to stare at Pam.

"I mean if you're lying, I might just make a complaint to the new Sheriff. I believe her name is Sheriff Sookie. I hear she has quite an eye for spotting troublemakers," Pam snickered deviously.

"Satans jävla helvetes fitta!" Eric cursed in his native tongue.

•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•Oo•

A few minutes later, Sookie came into Fangtasia, and Pam greeted her by the door, interrogating her over the state of her car. Before Sookie could answer, Eric was by Sookie's side.

"Lover, I have a surprise for you," Eric stated, flashing his trademark smirk.

"Oh, Eric! Another surprise? You're going to spoil me rotten," Sookie cooed innocently, completely ignoring Pam.

"I'm taking you on a six day tour of Paris and—"

"And? Oh my God, Eric! Paris alone is enough! There's more?" Sookie asked, excitedly.

"Wait 'till he tells you," Pam snickered, waiting for her master to continue.

Sookie looked at Pam with a worried smile, not sure what the vampiress meant.

"We are going on a six day tour of Paris . . . and Pam is coming with us," Eric slowly related, trying not to grit his teeth too much.

"Oh," Sookie replied, fearing she had overreacted for a business trip. "You mean it's a business trip?" Sookie asked nervously.

"No, Lover. Not at all."

"Oh, Eric," Sookie said excitedly. "Really then? Paris, France? Oh my God, Eric!" Sookie hugged Eric tightly, reaching up to kiss his chin.

"Come, Lover. I am almost done with my work." He took her hand and led her to his office, shutting the door behind him.

Sookie embraced him from behind as he locked the door, and he turned around to look at her beautiful face, pausing to note she had tears in her eyes.

"Did you nourish yourself, Lover?" Eric asked, wiping them away.

"Yes, I did. Thanks for asking," Sookie replied. "Eric?"

"Yes, Lover?"

"You're really taking me to Paris?"

"Yes, unless you would like to go somewhere else? I will take you anywhere you want to go."

"And Pam?"

"Pam is touring the country on her own. Do not concern yourself over her, darling."

"But who's going to take care of the club?"

"We have very reliable people in charge. Do not worry about anything but being by my side."

"Eric, I'm so happy. Thank you, baby," she whispered, kissing him passionately. Sookie pulled back from the kiss to look into his eyes. "I love you, Eric. I love you so much."

Eric met her intense gaze, then softly kissed her plump lips. "Ditto."

THE END

* * *

TRANSLATIONS: (Thanks again, Maria Terese!)

Satans jävla helvetes fitta – Popular curse – literal translation would probably be 'Satan's goddamn fucking cunt!'

**A/N:** There all done! Looks like someone's wearing down the Viking and changing his ways.

Hope I made you enjoy this rollercoaster ride full of romance, sex, laughter, torture, a few sniffle moments, ass kissing moments, and what else did I forget to mention?

Come by my blog and read this story as well as find out what I'm up to, or friend me on Facebook. All links are on my FF net main page.

So now that's it's done—what do you think? Review and tell me your thoughts. Don't be shy!

THANK YOU to all of you who have left a review. They are truly my inspiration! THANKS!


End file.
